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STORY  OF  MY  LIFE  AND  WORK 


BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR 

THE   LOGIC  OF  CHRISTIAN   EVIDENCES — Andover:  Warren   F. 

Draper,  1880,  izmo,  pp.  xii,  312.     $1.50. 
STUDIES  IN  SCIENCE:  AND  RELIGION — Warren  F.  Draper,  1882, 

I2IT10,    pp.    xvi,    39O.       $I.5O. 

AN  INQUIRY  CONCERNING  THE  RELATION  OF  DEATH  TO  PRO- 
BATION— Boston:  Congregational  Publishing  Society,  1882, 
izmo,  pp.  viii,  114.  $0.75.  , 

THE  DIVINE  AUTHORITY  OF  THE  BIBLE — Boston:  Congrega- 
tional S.  S.  and  Publishing  Society,  1884,  I2mo,  pp.  xii, 
241.  $1.25. 

THE  ICE  AGE  IN  NORTH  AMERICA  AND  ITS  BEARINGS  UPON  THE 
ANTIQUITY  OF  MAN. — ist  ed.,  New  York:  D.  Appleton 
&  Co.,  1889,  8vo,  pp.  xx,  625.  5th  ed.,  Oberlin:  Biblio- 
theca  Sacra  Co.,  1912,  8vo,  pp.  xx,  763.  $5.00. 

CHARLES  GRANDISON  FINNEY — (American  Religious  Leaders 
Series) — Boston:  Houghton,  Mifflin  &  Co.,  1891,  i2mo,  pp. 
329.  $1.25. 

MAN  AND  THE  GLACIAL  PERIOD — (International  Scientific  Se- 
ries)— New  York:  D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  1897,  i2mo,  pp. 
xxxii,  358.  $1.75. 

GREENLAND  ICE  FIELDS  AND  LIFE  IN  THE  NORTH  ATLANTIC — 
D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  1896,  i2mo,  pp.  xv,  407.  $2.00. 

SCIENTIFIC  ASPECTS  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCES — D.  Appleton 
&  Co.,  1898,  i2mo,  pp.  xi,  362.  $1.50. 

ASIATIC  RUSSIA — New  York:  McClure,  Phillips  &  Co.,  1902, 
two  volumes,  8vo,  pp.  600.  $7.50. 

SCIENTIFIC  CONFIRMATIONS  OF  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY — 
Oberlin:  Bibliotheca  Sacra  Co.,  1906,  izmo,  pp.  xv,  434. 
$2.00. 

ORIGIN  AND  ANTIQUITY  OF  MAN — Bibliotheca  Sacra  Co.,  1912, 
i2mo,  pp.  xx,  547.  $2.00. 

SEE  OHIO  FIRST:  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  BEST  ROUTES  TO  THE  MOST 
INTERESTING  SCENES  IN  THE  BUCKEYE  STATE — Oberlin: 
Bibliotheca  Sacra  Co.,  1915,  Svo;  pp.  viii,  85.  $0.50. 


STORY  OF  MY  LIFE  AND  WORK 


BY 


G.  FREDERICK  WRIGHT 

D.D.,  LL.D.,  F.G.S.A. 


Surely  there  are  in  every  man's  life  certain  rubs, 
doublings,  and  wrenches,  which  pass  awhile  un- 
der the  effects  of  chance,  but,  at  the  last,  well 
examined,  prove  the  mere  hand  of  God. 

— Sir  Thomas  Browne 


Oberlin,  Ohio,  U.S.A. 

Bibliotheca  Sacra  Company 

1916 


COPYRIGHTED    1916    BY 
BIBLIOTHECA    SACRA    COMPANY 


The   News   Printing   Co.,    Oberlin,    O. 


CIKRARY 
?TTY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

SANTA  BARBARA 


TO 
Sty*  lHang  (Swrnma 

WHOSE  INTEREST 
THROUGH  ALL  THESE   YEARS  HAS   BEEN 

AN  INSPIRATION, 

THIS  VOLUME   IS  AFFECTIONATELY 
DEDICATED 


PREFACE 

THE  sixty  years  of  my  active  life  cover  a  period  of 
unexampled  intellectual  as  well  as  of  mechanical  read- 
justments. To  the  discussion  of  the  intellectual  prob- 
lems which  have  special  bearings  on  our  religious  life 
Providence  has  given  me  a  call  which  I  could  not  de- 
cline. The  chief  reason  for  the  preparation  and  pub- 
lication of  the  present  volume  has  been  to  keep  in  the 
foreground  of  the  public  consciousness  the  new  argu- 
ments and  recently  discovered  facts  (some  of  which  I 
have  contributed)  supporting  reasonably  conservative 
views  concerning  the  relation  of  science  to  the  Bible. 
This  I  do  at  the  present  time,  not  because  I  think  my 
work  is  all  done,  but  because  this  survey  should  be 
made  while  my  powers  are  still  unabated. 

A  minor  reason  for  the  publication  of  the  volume 
is  that  as  an  autobiography  (which  it  really  is)  it  will 
serve  to  bring  before  the  minds  of  the  present  gener- 
ation a  vivid  picture  of  the  conditions  of  life  during 
the  last  half  of  the  nineteenth  century,  when  most  of 
these  readjustments  referred  to  were  being  made. 

I  am  encouraged  to  make  this  venture  from  the  fact 
that  more  than  40,000  of  my  contemporaries  have  pur- 
chased the  books  I  have  written,  and  a  still  larger 


viii  Preface 

number  have  read  my  numerous  contributions  to  the 
current  periodicals  of  the  time,  a  partial  list  of  which 
is  given  in  the  appendix.  A  glance  at  this  list  will  tell 
better  than  words  how  constantly  the  subjects  on 
which  I  have  written  have  been  before  my  mind,  and 
how  wide  has  been  the  range  of  investigations  upon 
which  my  conclusions  have  been  based. 

By  permission  of  the  Publishers  of  the  Nation  I 
have  made  free  use  of  letters  published  in  that  periodi- 
cal, relating  to  my  trip  across  Asia,  but  for  the  most 
part  the  form  of  these  communications  has  been  some- 
what changed. 

With  strong  assurance  that  the  fundamental  truths 
which  I  have  attempted  to  define  and  defend  will 
ultimately  prevail,  notwithstanding  the  eclipse  into 
which  many  of  them  have  fallen,  I  offer  the  volume  for 
the  consideration,  both  of  the  general  public,  and  of 
the  scientific  and  theological  fraternities  to  which  it 
has  been  my  privilege  to  belong. 

G.  FREDERICK  WRIGHT. 

Oberlin,  Ohio,  November,  1916. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  I 

Happy  Days  of   Childhood  i 

Grandparents  settle  in  Whitehall,  N.  Y.,  4;  Their 
conversion,  9;  Mother's  early  life,  12;  Marriage 
proposal,  17;  The  cousins,  19;  Pleasures  of  child- 
hood, 23 ;  The  country  church,  28 ;  Common-school 
and  early  education,  32 ;  Teaching  district  school, 
38;  Prophet  Miller,  39. 

CHAPTER  II 

College  Days  at  Oberlin  41 

Reasons  for  going  to  Oberlin,  41 ;  Home  life  in  Ober- 
lin, 45;  History  of  the  college,  49;  Its  cosmopolitan 
character,  53 ;  Finney's  peculiarities,  56;  The  pro- 
fessors, 60;  The  college  curriculum,  72;  Teaching 
winter  schools,  76;  The  anti-slavery  conflict,  89; 
The  Oberlin- Wellington  Rescue  Case,  90;  The  Civil 
War,  96 ;  Enlistment  in  the  army,  97 ;  Experiences 
of  Company  C,  101 ;  Revival  in  Brownsville,  104. 

CHAPTER  III 

Ten  Years  in  a  Country  Parish  106 

Choice  of  a  field,  106 ;  Marriage,  107 ;  Peculiari- 
ties of  the  parish,  109;  Habits  of  study,  115;  Par- 
ish duties,  117;  Results,  119;  Associates  in  the  min- 
istry, 121 ;  Geological  studies,  123 ;  The  Champlain 
Valley  during  the  Glacial  epoch,  125. 

CHAPTER  IV 

Ten  Years   at  Andover  127 

Character  of  the  parish,  128;  The  theological  sem- 
inary, 130;  A  geological  problem,  132;  Its  solution, 


Contents 


134;  Connection  with  the  Bibliotheca  Sacra,  136; 
Friendship  of  Asa  Gray,  137;  Connection  with  Bos- 
ton Society  of  Natural  History,  139;  Prehistoric  man 
in  Trenton,  N.  J.,  141 ;  The  Logic  of  Christian  Evi- 
dences, 142;  The  glacial  boundary  in  Pennsylva- 
nia, 144. 

CHAPTER  V 

Transfer  to   Oberlin  146 

The  call  to  Oberlin,  146;  Continuation  of  the  gla- 
cial survey,  147;  Interest  in  the  glacial  work,  150. 

CHAPTER  VI 

Significance  of  Glacial   Phenomena  151 

Interest  in  glacial  investigations,  151;  Discovery  of 
palaeolithic  implements,  152;  Glacial  dam  at  Cin- 
cinnati, 154;  Trip  to  Alaska,  156;  Interesting  expe- 
riences, 157;  Retreat  of  the  glacier,  159. 

CHAPTER  VII 

Reception  .of  My  Glacial   Views  160 

Publication  of  the  Ice  Age  in  North  America,  161 ; 
Lava  flows  in  the  Snake  River  Valley,  165;  Gla- 
cial enlargement  of  Great  Salt  Lake,  167;  The  Cal- 
averas  skull,  170. 

CHAPTER  VIII 

First  Visit  to  Europe  171 

Supposed  postglacial  submergence  of  England,  171 ; 
Professor  Kendall's  assistance,  173. 

CHAPTER  IX 

Shipwrecked  in  Greenland  175 

Collision  with  an  iceberg,  176;   Landing  at  Sukker- 


Contents  xi 

toppen,  178;  Running  on  a  reef,  179;  Expedition 
to  Ikamiut  Fiord,  180;  The  colony  at  Sukkertoppen, 
182;  The  Eskimo,  184;  Dr.  Frederick  Cook,  187; 
Loss  of  the  Miranda,  189;  Captain  Dixon,  190. 

CHAPTER  X 

Theological  Studies  193 

Life  of  President  Finney,  193 ;  Finney's  theological 
system,  195;  New  School  Calvinism,  197;  Scien- 
tific Aspects  of  Christian  Evidences,  199. 

CHAPTER  XI 

Across  Asia  201 

Mr.  Baldwin's  generosity,  201 ;  Lectures  in  Japan, 
203 ;  The  Japanese  professors,  207 ;  The  head  of  the 
Japanese  tobacco  trust,  208 ;  Baron  Rosen's  friend- 
ship, 209;  Silt  in  the  Chinese  Sea,  211;  Arrival  at 
Tientsin,  213;  at  Peking,  215;  Providential  deliv- 
erance, 216;  Trip  to  Kalgan,  217;  Chinese  peculiar- 
ities, 219;  The  Ming  Tombs,  221;  Kalgan,  225; 
Mongolian  plateau,  227;  Chinese  inns,  230;  Catholic 
Mission  of  Shiwantse,  232;  The  Boxer  revolution, 
233;  Escape  from  Peking,  234;  Admiral  Alexieff  at 
Port  Arthur,  236;  Lack  of  government  in  Manchu- 
ria, 239;  Russian  engineers  at  Teling,  241;  Mis- 
sionaries at  Kwan-Chen-tse,  245;  Harbin,  246; 
Down  the  Sungari  River  and  up  the  Usuri,  247- 
253;  News  of  the  Boxer  revolution,  250;  Up  the 
Amur,  253-260;  Traveling  companions,  253;  Mas- 
sacre at  Blagovestchensk,  257;  Transbaikalia,  260- 
282 ;  City  of  Chita,  261 ;  Lake  Baikal,  262-266 ; 
Irkutsk  to  Krasnoyarsk,  266-269 ;  Political  exiles, 
267;  Minusinsk,  269-272;  Remarkable  museum,  271; 
Krasnoyarsk)  to  Omsk,  273-277;  Internal  navigation, 
274;  Increase  of  population,  276;  Fourteen  Hun- 
dred Miles  by  Tarantass,  277-298 ;  Russian  Post- 


xii  Contents 


roads,  277;  Our  tarantass,  279;  Semipalatinsk,  282; 
Companions  in  travel,  285;  Lake  Balkash,  287;  Ala- 
tau  Mountains,  289;  The  city  of  Verni,  291;  The 
irrigated  belt,  292;  Tashkent,  294;  Samarkand, 
298-305 ;  Tamerlane,  301 ;  Splendid  ruins,  303 ; 
Alexander  at  Samarkand,  304;  Pumpelly's  excava- 
tions at  Merv,  305 ;  The  Caspian  basin  during  the 
Glacial  epoch,  306 ;  Elevated  shore  line  at  Trebi- 
zond,  308 ;  Over  the  Dariel  Pass,  309 ;  Rostov,  Mos- 
cow, Petrograd,  Kiev,  and  Odessa,  311;  Prehistoric 
remains  at  Kiev,  314;  The  Great  Jordan  Fault,  317- 
331;  From  Damascus  to  the  Jordan  Valley,  320; 
High  level  terraces  about  the  Jordan  Valley,  323 ; 
From  Jerusalem  to  the  south  end  of  the  Dead  Sea, 
324;  Jordan  Valley  during  the  Glacial  epoch,  327; 
Accident  to  Mrs.  Bent,  329;  Egypt,  Greece,  Italy, 
331;  Excursion  to  Palermo,  332;  Home  Again, 
333~338;  Publishing  results,  333;  Glacial  problem  in 
Missouri,  335;  Prehistoric  man  at  Lansing,  Kan., 
337;  Summary  of  Results  of  the  Asiatic  Trip,  339- 
349;  Lectures  in  Japan,  339;  The  Russian  people, 
340;  Religion  in  Russia,  341;  Russian  church  music, 
343;  Future  of  Russia,  344;  Scientific  results,  345. 

CHAPTER  XII 

Third  Visit  to  Europe  350 

Kitchen  middens  of  Denmark,  351;  Geological  ex- 
cursion with  Dr.  Hoist  in  southern  Sweden,  352; 
The  largest  glacial  bowlder  in  the  world,  354; 
Raised  beaches  at  Solvitsborg,  356;  Stockholm  to 
Petrograd,  357;  Political  discontent  in  Russia,  358; 
Mr.  Stead  in  Moscow,  360;  Traveling  companions 
from  Moscow  to  Rostov,  363 ;  A  week  at  Rostov, 
365;  Kertch,  Theodosia,  Yalta,  367;  Yalta  to  Se- 
vastopol, 368;  Syria  and  Palestine,  370-383;  Custom- 
house at  Constantinople,  371;  Visiting  the  cedars  of 


Contents  xiii 


Lebanon  with  Professor  Day,  372;  Baalbek  and 
Damascus,  375 ;  Visiting  Selah  Merrill  on  a  house- 
top at  Jaffa,  376;  Where  Israel  crossed  the  Red 
Sea,  377;  Scientific  Confirmations  of  Old  Testa- 
ment History,  379-383;  The  Stone  Lectures,  379; 
The  reception  of  the  book,  381. 

CHAPTER  XIII 

Fourth  Visit  to  Europe  384 

Palaeolithic  remains  at  Amiens,  384;  Rubble  drift 
at  Sangatte  and  Brighton,  386;  Lectures  in  Eng- 
land, 388;  Publishing  Origin  and  Antiquity  of  Man, 
390. 

CHAPTER  XIV 

Editorial    Work  393 

Bibliotheca  Sacra,  392;  The  New  Departure  at 
Andover,  393 ;  Transfer  of  Bibliotheca  Sacra  to 
Oberlin,  395;  Contributors  to  Bibliotheca  Sacra,  397; 
Harold  M.  Wiener,  '400;  Rev.  E.  S.  Buchanan,  402; 
Advanced  scholarship  of  Bibliotheca  Sacra,  406; 
Records  of  the  Past,  407. 

CHAPTER  XV 

Archaeological    and   Professorial   Work  408 

Ohio  State  Archaeological  and  Historical  Society, 
408 ;  Lack  of  local  interest  in  the  State,  409 ; 
Marked  revival  of  interest,  411;  Colaborers,  413; 
Remarkable  results  of  our  explorations,  414;  Pro- 
fessors associated  with  me  in  Oberlin,  415;  my 
class  work,  416;  Parting  words,  417. 

CHAPTER  XVI 

My  Creed  418 

i,  2.     Personality  of  God,  418 ;   3.  A  system  of  sec- 


xiv  Contents 


ondary  causes,  419;  4,  5.  God  a  creator,  420;  6.  An 
orderly    progress    in    the    development   of    life,  421 ; 

7.  Sudden   appearance  of  man   in  the  world,  422; 

8.  The  magnitude  and  complications  of  the  Glacial 
epoch    unappreciated,   423 ;    9.    Abnormal    conditions 
of  the  Glacial   epoch,  424;    10.   Man  contemporane- 
ous  with   the   closing   stages   of   the   Glacial    epoch, 
425;  ii.  The  flood  connected  with  the  Glacial  epoch, 
426;    12.    Man   needs   an   historical    revelation,  426; 
13.    The    Bible    such    a    revelation,    427;    14.    More 
care  needed  in  interpreting  the  Bible,  428;   15.  The 
books  of  the  New  Testament  genuine  and  authorita- 
tive, 431;    16.  The  early  formulas  of  Christian  doc- 
trine too  valuable  to  lose,  432;  17.  Safe  leaders  will 
be  raised  up,  434;   18.  Theologians  and  men  of  Sci- 
ence will   come  to   an   agreement,  435;    19.   Nations 
will   learn  the  folly  of  war,  436. 

Appendix:    Notes  and  Bibliography  437 


The  essence  of  intellectual  living  does  not  reside  in 
extent  of  science  or  in  perfection  of  expression,  but  in 
a  constant  preference  for  higher  thoughts  over  lower 
thoughts.  Here  is  the  true  secret  of  that  fascination 
which  belongs  to  intellectual  pursuits,  that  they  reveal 
to  us  a  little  more,  and  yet  a.  little  more,  of  the  eternal 
order  of  the  Universe,  establishing  us  so  firmly  in  what 
is  known,  that  we  acquire  an  unshakable  confidence  in 
the  laws  which  govern  what  is  not,  and  never  can  be, 
known. — Philip  Gilbert  Hamerton. 


STORY  OF  MY  LIFE  AND  WORK 


Story  of  My  Life  and  Work 

CHAPTER   I 

HAPPY  DAYS  OF  CHILDHOOD 
ENOCH  WRIGHT,  my  grandfather,  was  born  in 
Pittsfield,  Massachusetts,  in  1763.  His  parents  came 
from  Northampton,  Massachusetts.  What  their  name 
was  I  have  not  been  able  to  learn,  for  the  Wrights 
were  at  that  time  a  numerous  family  in  the  Connecti- 
cut valley. 

At  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War  we  find 
Enoch,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  enlisted  as  a 
teamster  in  the  campaign  which  ended  in  the  surren- 
der of  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown,  an  event  which  he 
was  permitted  to  witness.  His  discharge  from  the 
service  was  dated  on  the  field,  and  reads  as  follows: 

Camp  York  Town,  Virgine:  Oct.  10:  1781 
this  Certifyes  that  Enoch  Wright  is  Discharged  the 
wagon  Servis  on  Account  of  Inebility  of  helth  &  not 
having  Any  Teme  of  his  own  thot  Best  So  to  do 

Jos  Cogswell  W.  M.  G. 

Sd  Wright  hath   Purchesd  him  Self  a   Hors  &  hath 
Liberty  to  take  it  home. 

all  Isuing  Comiss  are  Desird  to  furnish  the  Barer 
With  Provitions  to  Connecticut. 

Why  he  should  have  gone  to  Connecticut  is   not 
3 


4  Story  of  My  Life 

certain,  but  it  is  surmised  that  he  was  attracted 
thither  by  the  presence  of  Tryphena  West,  whose 
family  was  originally  from  Connecticut,  but  was 
found  not  long  after  residing  in  Pittsfield.  Among 
her  brothers  were  Ichabod,  and  Frederick,  after  whom 
I  was  named. 

In  1783  Enoch  Wright  and  Tryphena  West  were 
married,  much  to  the  displeasure  of  the  bride's  parents, 
on  account  of  the  groom's  lack  of  worldly  goods.  But 
Tryphena  was  courageous  and  confident  and  boldly 
set  out  on  horseback  with  her  young  husband  to 
make  a  home  near  Skenesboro  (now  Whitehall), 
New  York,  at  the  head  of  Lake  Champlain.  Here 
he  purchased  from  a  Mr.  Carver  a  tract  of  land  five 
miles  northeast  of  Whitehall  village.  The  boundary 
line  between  Vermont  and  New  York  is  here  formed 
by  East  Bay,  and  Poultney  River,  which,  after  run- 
ning some  miles  to  the  north,  bends  around  to  the 
south  and  leaves  a  projecting  point  of  the  town  of 
West  Haven,  Vermont,  extending  between  the  river 
and  Lake  Champlain,  almost  to  Whitehall  village. 
Thus  Vermont  was  upon  three  sides  of  my  early 
home,  from  which  resulted  the  fact  that  my  early 
associations  were  much  more  intimate  with  Vermont 
than  with  New  York.  The  towns  of  Poultney,  Fair 
Haven,  West  Haven,  Benson,  Castleton,  Rutland, 
Hubbardton,  and  Middlebury  were  much  more  famil- 


Happy  Days  of  Childhood  5 

iar  to  me  than  any  places  in  my  native  state,  except 
Whitehall. 

Skenesboro  and  the  immediate  vicinity  are  con- 
nected with  many  of  the  most  thrilling  scenes  of 
American  history.  For  many  days  Skenesboro  was 
the  headquarters  of  Burgoyne's  army ;  the  battle  of 
Hubbardton  occurred  but  a  few  miles  to  the  northeast ; 
and  the  bateaux  of  Burgoyne's  scouting  parties  went 
up  East  Bay  to  Carver's  Falls,  two  miles  to  the  north ; 
while,  only  seven  or  eight  miles  to  the  west,  after 
crossing  Lake  Champlain  and  Dresden  Mountain,  an 
unfrequented  road  led  us  to  the  Bosom  on  Lake 
George  at  the  foot  of  Black  Mountain  and  opposite 
Sabaday  Point,  and  brought  to  our  attention  the  many 
thrilling  scenes  in  Colonial  history  when  the  French 
and  English  were  struggling  for  the  possession  of  that 
most  important  line  of  early  communication. 

My  grandfather  built  him  a  log  cabin  a  short  dis- 
tance back  from  the  home  where  I  was  born,  and 
where  in  my  childhood's  days  were  the  decaying  trees 
of  the  apple  orchard  which  he  had  planted  with  his 
own  hands.  I  well  remember  the  heap  of  stones 
which  marked  the  foundation  of  this  cabin,  and  the 
spreading  roots  of  the  stump  of  a  hollow  pine  tree 
concerning  which  my  grandmother  often  gave  me  a 
thrilling  story  of  her  pioneer  experience.  When  in 
due  time  they  had  become  the  possessors  of  a  flock  of 


6  Story  of  My  Life 

eight  sheep,  it  was  their  custom  to  shut  them  up  at 
night  in  this  hollow  stump  to  protect  them  from  the 
wolves.  But  at  last  these  ravenous  beasts  effected  an 
entrance  and  killed  the  entire  flock,  the  remnants  of 
w/hose  bodies  were  found  scattered  around  in  the  in- 
closing forest.  Painfully  my  grandmother  collected 
the  locks  of  wool  lying  around,  and  carded  and  spun 
them  into  yarn,  and  from  it  knit  stockings  for  her 
children. 

My  grandmother  lived  to  be  eighty-seven  years  old, 
and  for  some  years  I  was  her  intimate  companion,  sit- 
ting by  the  fireside  to  keep  her  company  while  she 
regaled  me  with  stories  of  her  pioneer  life.  Children 
were  born  to  her  in  rapid  succession,  until  there  were 
ten  in  all.  But  she  was  a  thrifty  housekeeper,  and, 
though  slight  in  frame,  had  a  vigorous  physical  con- 
stitution. She  delighted  to  tell  me  that  after  the  first 
year,  when  she  brought  up  a  calf  on  hay  tea,  they 
never  ceased  to  have  fresh  milk  in  the  household. 
The  unfailing  spring  of  Water  to  which  they  resorted 
in  dry  seasons  was  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away.  Not 
daring  to  leave  her  children  at  home  alone,  she  would 
often  bring  water  this  distance  for  household  use, 
with  one  babe  in  her  arms  and  another  trudging  along 
with  unequal  steps  at  her  side.  At  one  time  as  she 
was  combing  her  hair  in  the  door  of  her  cabin  on  a 
pleasant  day,  she  thought  she  saw  one  of  the  neigh- 


Happy  Days  of  Childhood  7 

bors'  cattle  in  the  wheat  field  near  the  house,  and  has- 
tened to  drive  the  creature  away;  but  was  surprised 
to  see  it  push  through  the  brush  fence  in  a  manner 
unlike  that  of  a  domestic  animal,  and  on  looking 
closely  discovered  that  it  was  a  bear.  These  and 
other  stories  told  me  by  my  grandmother  relate  to 
events  which  occurred  one  hundred  and  thirty  years 
ago,  and  illustrate  the  length  of  time  through  which 
evidence  of  the  first  order  may  be  transmitted  by  tra- 
dition. On  visiting  this  region  at  the  present  time, 
all  evidence  of  the  conditions  existing  in  the  early 
years  of  my  grandfather's  settlement  have  disappeared ; 
but  of  these  things  I  have  no  more  doubt  than  I  have 
of  any  other  fact  that  is  made  known  to  me  by  hu- 
man testimony;  while  I  doubt  not  that  by  repeating 
them  here  those  who  read  this  account  will  believe 
them  as  firmly  as  they  do  any  facts  of  history. 

Unfortunately  a  part  of  the  land  which  my  grand- 
father purchased  lacked  a  good  title.  He  had  bought 
it  originally  of  the  New  Hampshire  grant,  which 
was  supposed  to  own  the  land  to  the  head  of  the  lake. 
Hence  he  was  compelled  to  pay  a  second  time  for  it. 
Nevertheless,  his  business  capacity  was  such  that  he 
prospered  greatly,  adding  farm  to  farm  until  he 
must  have  been  in  possession  of  nearly  one  thousand 
acres.  The  region  was  heavily  covered  with  timber, 
much  of  it  being  pine.  The  immense  stumps  of  these 


8  Story   of  My  Life 

trees  were  so  saturated  with  pitch  that  many  of  them 
remained  in  the  ground  for  a  century,  while  others, 
after  being  violently  wrenched  from  the  ground,  were 
set  up  on  edge  to  make  fences  which  still  endure. 
The  land  was  cleared  of  the  forests  in  the  shortest 
possible  way,  the  trees  being  felled  and  piled  in  heaps 
where  they  could  be  burned  and  the  ashes  saved, 
from  which  potash  was  made, —  the  ashes  being 
leached  and  the  liquid  boiled  down  in  huge  kettles  of 
well-known  shape,  tapering  inwards  from  top  to  bot- 
tom. It  is  from  similarity  to  the  shape  of  these  ket- 
tles that  the  numerous  well-known  depressions  and 
lakelets  in  the  glaciated  region  are  named  "  kettle 
holes."  At  first  potash  was  almost  the  only  market- 
able product  that  could  be  sent  from  the  land.  But 
as  soon  as  even  a  small  area  was  cleared  immense 
crops  of  wheat  could  be  procured  from  the  virgin  soil, 
and  this  found  a  ready  market  at  Troy  and  Lansing- 
burgh,  at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Hudson 
River,  about  one  hundred  miles  south.  But  over  that 
distance  it  had  to  be  hauled  by  teams.  This  necessi- 
tated the  establishment  of  innumerable  small  taverns 
along  the  route.  Some  of  the  houses  put  to  this  pur- 
pose in  that  heyday  of  hotel  life  are  still  standing, 
but  in  many  more  instances  a  bed  of  tansy  is  all  that 
marks  their  former  location.  Those  were  the  days 
when  it  was  not  thought  imprudent  to  take  a  dram, 


Happy  Days  of  Childhood  g 

and  indeed  when  "  morning  bitters "  were  supposed 
to  be  a  necessity.  Hence  the  tansy  bed  by  the  side 
of  every  public  house.  In  looking  over  my  grand- 
father's papers,  I  find  regular  account  of  small 
amounts  of  rum  among  the  articles  for  which  his 
wheat  was  exchanged. 

After  a  few  years  the  log  house  in  the  orchard  was 
exchanged  for  one  of  more  considerable  pretensions, 
built  just  in  the  rear  of  the  one  which  at  a  later  date 
my  father  built,  and  in  which  I  was  born.  This  sec- 
ond house  was  a  frame  building  covered  with  clap- 
boards which,  if  I  remember  aright,  were  split  from 
the  straight  grain  of  pine  trees  and  given  a  smooth 
surface  by  the  shave.  They  were  fastened  with  wrought 
nails.  The  home  stood  long  after  my  remembrance 
and  was  a  favorite  place  for  the  storage  of  corn  and 
apples,  and  for  the  games  of  hide  and  seek  which  we 
children  played  with  each  other. 

Though  they  had  been  brought  up  under  the  strict 
religious  influences  prevailing  in  New  England,  my 
grandparents  were  so  engrossed  in  their  pioneer  life 
that  for  twenty-one  years  they  were  entirely  neglectful 
of  their  religious  duties,  but  at  this  time  an  event  of 
great  significance  occurred.  Upon  reaching  his  ma- 
jority their  oldest  son,  my  uncle  Orin  (a  name  of 
blessed  memory  to  all  the  children  of  the  neighbor- 


10  Story  of  My  Life 

hood  who  enjoyed  rambling  with  him  in  his  old  age 
through  the  forests  in  search  of  ground  nuts,  saxi- 
frage, and  wintergreen,  and  along  the  streams  and 
lakelets,  where  fish  were  caught),  went  back  to  Pitts- 
field  to  attend  school  at  the  ancestral  home.  There 
he  fell  under  the  influence  of  a  powerful  revival  of 
religion  conducted  by  the  erratic  Lorenzo  Dow,  and 
experienced  a  change  of  heart  which  made  him  ever 
afterwards  a  pillar  of  the  church  and  a  witness  for 
everything  that  was  noble  and  true.  His  first  im- 
pulse upon  his  conversion  was  to  set  out  for  his  home 
to  give  his  testimony  to  his  parents  and  brothers  and 
sisters.  He  hastily  walked  the  one  hundred  and 
twenty  miles  that  separated  him  from  them,  arriving 
at  night  after  all  had  retired,  but  his  mother,  recog- 
nizing his  step,  called,  "  Orin,  is  that  you  ?  What  is 
the  matter?"  He  replied,  "I  have  found  the  Sa- 
viour and  have  come  home  to  tell  you.  I  want  the 
whole  family  aroused  that  I  may  tell  them  of  my 
experience."  Consequently  all  the  children  were 
aroused  and  gathered  about  the  fireplace. 

The  effect  was  instantaneous,  my  grandfather  and 
grandmother  at  once  acknowledged  their  error  in  so 
long  neglecting  their  religious  duties  and  entered 
upon  a  new  and  joyful  life  of  Christian  exper- 
ience. The  influence  rapidly  spread  throughout  the 
neighborhood  and  it  was  but  a  short  time  before  a 


Happy  Days  of  Childhood  II 

Congregational  Church  was  formed,  of  which  my 
grandfather  was  the  clerk  and  leading  member.  In 
those  days  the  practice  of  infant  baptism  was  more 
scrupulously  observed  in  Congregational  Churches 
than  it  is  at  the  present  time,  and  it  is  affecting  to 
notice  that  at  the  communion  following  the  organi- 
zation of  the  church  all  my  grandfather's  children 
were  presented  for  baptism,  though  as  my  father  told 
me  the  consent  of  the  older  ones  was  obtained. 

In  a  few  months  a  meetinghouse  was  built  about 
three  miles  to  the  southeast  of  our  house,  where  it 
would  accommodate  a  large  circle  of  families  inter- 
ested in  the  movement.  My  grandfather  was  chair- 
man of  the  building  committee  and  kept  the  records 
of  the  society  as  well  as  of  the  Church.  On  seeing 
how  carefully  these-  were  kept,  one  does  not  wonder 
at  his  success  in  business,  for  note  was  made  of  every- 
thing purchased  and  of  every  day's  work  employed. 

But  shortly  after,  in  1808,  he  was  seized  with  a 
violent  fever,  and  cut  off  in  the  midst  of  his  activi- 
ties, leaving  my  grandmother  with  the  cares  of  her 
family  and  a  large  landed  estate.  The  older  children, 
however,  were  so  well  developed  that  she  could  shift 
most  of  the  burden  upon  their  shoulders,  and  this  she 
did,  until  one  by  one  they  were  all  married,  and  seven 
of  them  were  settled  on  farms  adjoining;  the  old 


12  Story  of  My  Life 

homestead,  she  making  her  home  there  with  my  father 
until  her  death  in  1847. 

My  mother's  maiden  name  was  Mary  Peabody 
Colburn.  She  was  descended  from  a  family  that 
came  to  Boston  about  1640,  living  for  the  most 
part  in  the  vicinity  of  Lowell.  Her  mother  was  a 
Peabody,  one  of  the  numerous  family  of  that  name 
living  in  Salem.  She  was  related  also  to  the 
Spoffords,  some  of  whom  are  still  living  in  North 
Andover.  But  she  herself  was  born  in  1800  in 
Fredericktown,  New  Brunswick,  whither  her  father 
nnd  mother  had  gone  in  connection  with  the  loyalist 
emigration  at  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War, 
preferring  the  rule  of  the  King  to  that  of  the  new- 
born Republic.  In  1808,  however,  they  came  back  to 
the  United  States  and  settled  in  Fairhaven,  Vermont, 
which  was  only  five  miles  east  of  the  Wright  home- 
stead. My  grandfather  Colburn  also  had  a  large 
family,  the  oldest  of  whom,  my  uncle  John,  was  at 
one  time  interested  in  the  establishment  of  an  iron 
foundry  at  the  head  of  East  Bay  just  below  Carver's 
Falls.  Some  of  the  remains  of  the  foundry  are  still 
in  existence.  The  failure  of  the  enterprise  was  due 
to  a  singular  and  very  instructive  geological  event, 
the  marks  of  which  are  still  visible. 

At  the  time  of  Burgoyne's  campaign  and  until  the 


Happy  Days  of  Childhood  13 

time  of  my  uncle's  adventure,  East  Bay  was  navigable 
up  to  Carver's  Falls,  and  so  could  be  depended  upon 
as  an  outlet  for  the  product  of  their  forge.  But  two 
or  three  miles  above  the  Falls,  Poultney  River  was 
running  in  a  very  unstable  channel,  determined  by 
the  unequal  melting  of  the  ice  of  the  Glacial  epoch, 
which  conducted  the  stream  to  a  waterfall  which  fur- 
nished prospective  power  of  considerable  value.  A 
mile  or  two  above  this  waterfall  the  stream  was  pre- 
vented from  flowing  into  a  partially  filled  preglacial 
channel  by  a  narrow  embankment  of  gravel  and  sand. 
An  enemy  of  the  owner  of  the  waterpower  conceived 
the  plan  of  taking  vengeance  upon  him  by  turning 
the  course  of  the  river  at  that  point.  This  he  carried 
into  effect  one  dark  night,  and  in  the  morning  the 
rushing  water  had  so  enlarged  the  breach  that  it  was 
too  late  to  be  remedied  and  a  permanent  change  in 
the  channel  was  effected.  "The  dry  falls"  (near 
which  for  a  time  Horace  Greeley  had  his  home)  and 
the  elevated  abandoned  channel  were  left  to  the  geol- 
ogist as  permanent  records  of  the  change,  while  the 
manner  in  which  it  was  effected  is  known  only 
through  this  tradition  which  I  desire  to  perpetuate. 
As  my  memory  joins  itself  on  to  that  of  those  who 
were  contemporaneous  with  the  event,  there  need  be 
no  doubt  of  the  truth  of  the  story. 

As  a  result  of  this  change  in  the  channel  an  im- 


14  Story  of  My  Life 

mense  amount  of  fresh  sand  and  gravel  was  washed 
down  the  stream  and  over  Carver's  Falls  to  fill  UD 
the  channel  of  East  Bay  and  render  it  permanently 
unnavigable.  Thus  my  uncle's  promising  plan  was 
"  nipped  in  the  bud  "  and  the  remnants  of  the  build- 
ings in  a  lonely  and  inaccessible  place  were  all  that 
remained  of  the  venture  at  the  time  of  my  childhood, 
to  excite  the  curiosity  of  visitors. 

Two  other  facts  relating  to  this  insignificant  stream, 
with  which  I  became  familiar,  were  of  great  assistance 
in  later  years  in  helping  me  to  solve  difficult  geological 
problems.  From  them  I  learned  how  water  can  be 
made  to  run  up  hill.  The  headwaters  of  Poultney 
River  were  twenty  or  twenty-five  miles  southeast  of 
our  house.  Hubbardton  Creek  entered  East  Bay,  the 
continuation  of  the  river,  a  short  distance  northwest, 
coming  from  the  north.  At  one  time  a  series  of 
thunderstorms  passed  over  the  headwaters  of  the  river, 
raising  it,  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  creek,  as  much  as 
forty  feet  above  its  ordinary  level.  At  the  same  time 
there  had  been  no  rain  in  the  valley  of  the  creek.  The 
water  of  the  river,  therefore,  when  it  passed  the  mouth 
of  the  creek  rushed  up  into  it  and  carried  upstream 
a  dam  which  had  been  constructed  to  furnish  power 
for  a  grist  mill.  As  I  had  often  ridden  to  this  mill 
with  grists  of  corn  to  be  ground,  the  story  of  this 
dam's  floating  up  stream  made  a  deep  impression  on 


Happy  Days  of  Childhood  15 

me,  and,  as  I  found  many  years  later,  helped  me  to 
the  solution  of  a  most  difficult  problem  in  glacial 
geology.1  The  other  fact  was  that  in  going  to  the 
village  of  Whitehall  one  road  crossed  a  causeway, 
which  was  near  the  level  of  the  water  at  the  head 
of  Lake  Champlain.  Ordinarily  this  was  dry,  but 
when  strong  north  winds  blew  for  some  time  the 
water  used  to  rise  and  cover  the  road  so  as  to  make 
it  impassable,  thus  illustrating  the  power  of  the  wind 
in  affecting  water  levels,  and  helping  one  to  understand 
the  story  in  Exodus,  where  the  "  strong  east  wind  "  is 
said  to  have  opened  the  Red  Sea  for  the  passage  of 
the  Children  of  Israel,  while  a  change  of  wind  had 
overwhelmed  the  Egyptians  who  ventured  to  follow 
them.2 

During  the  years  of  her  girlhood,  following  their 
return,  my  mother's  family  lived  in  West  Haven  and 
Benson.  During  a  portion  of  this  time  they  kept  a 
toll  gate  on  a  turnpike  which  led  from  that  section 
of  the  country  to  the  great  market  place  at  the  head 
of  navigation  at  Troy  on  the  .Hudson  River.  Many 
a  day  she  was  left  in  charge  of  the  gate,  which  gave 
her  opportunity  not  only  to  become  familiar  with  the 
faces  of  a  great  number  of  people  but  also  to  satisfy 
her  insatiable  love  of  reading,  which  followed  her  to 
the  end  of  her  life.  My  mother's  education,  like  that 


1 6  Story  of  My  Life 

of  most  young  women  of  the  time,  was  limited  to 
the  three  R's  and  fancy  needlework,  while  in  arith- 
metic she  was  scarcely  taken  beyond  fractions,  but 
she  knew  Watts'  Hymns,  the  Bible,  Young's  "  Night 
Thoughts,"  and  Pollok's  "  Course  of  Time  "  almost 
by  heart,  and  had  largely  devoured  all  the  choice  liter- 
ature that  came  within  her  reach.  She  had  read 
Shakespeare,  "  Scottish  Chiefs,"  and  Baxter's  "  Saint's 
Rest  "  while  in  New  Brunswick  before  coming  to  the 
States.  A  young  lady  of  her  acquaintance,  who  was 
desirous  of  emulating  her  in  some  respects  that  she 
might  make  herself  agreeable  to  her  gentlemen  friends, 
begged  of  her  at  one  time  to  lend  her  for  a  few  days 
her  "  Young  Man's  Night  Thoughts,"  things  with 
which  my  mother  thought  she  was  already  too  well 
acquainted. 

In  the  powerful  religious  revivals  which  swept  over 
that  region  in  the  second  decade  of  the  last  century, 
my  mother  became  deeply  interested,  and  in  the  year 
1818,  in  the  company  of  one  hundred  others,  joined 
the  Congregational  Church  of  Benson,  a  town  which 
then  had  twice  the  population  which  it  now  has. 
About  this  time  a  proposal  of  marriage  was  made  to 
my  mother  by  a  young  minister,  which  it  would  have 
seemed  natural  for  her  to  accept,  but  at  the  same  time 
a  plain-spoken,  honest  farmer,  in  the  person  of  my 
father,  was  competing  for  her  affections  and  secured 


Happy  Days  of  Childhood  17 

the  prize.  Thus  the  train  of  events  that  led  up  to  my 
own  existence  hung  for  a  time  in  the  most  delicate 
balance.  Fortunately  for  myself  it  turned  in  my 
favor  and  in  due  time  I  with  four  brothers  and  a 
sister  came  into  the  world  to  struggle  amid  its  vicis- 
situdes, and  to  leave  our  footprints  on  the  sands  of 
time. 

The  letter  in  which  my  father  made  his  final  pro- 
posal illustrates  better  than  almost  anything  else,  both 
his  own  sterling  qualities  and  the  formalities  of  the 
time. 

"  The  winter  is  past  and  gone  the  spring  has  now 
returned  which  now  animates  all  around  us  and 
awakens  in  man  a  spirit  of  joy  and  gladness  and  all 
the  social  passions  of  the  mind:  for  man  is  formed 
for  asocial  being  and  not  for  solitude  capable  of  en- 
joying sweet  intercourse  with  his  fellowbeing;  for  it 
is  written  two  are  better  than  one  and  a  threefold 
cord  is  not  quickly  broken.  May  I  not  use  freedom 
while  conversing  with  one  whom  I  trust  hath  the 
spirit  of  Christ,  for  I  also  have  this  consolation,  that 
Christ  hath  formed  in  me  the  hope  of  glory;  how 
strong  the  friendship  when  formed  on  right  princi- 
ples :  and  how  hardly  to  be  broken.  I  need  the  coun- 
cil of  one  who  can  sympathize  in  my  afflictions  and 
share  in  my  pleasures,  one  in  whom  I  may  ever  find 
new  delight.  After  haveing  some  personal  acquaint- 


1 8  Story  of  My  Life 

ance  with  you,  I  am  led  to  believe  the  report  I  have 
so  frequently  heard  of  you.  I  shall  hope  for  afriend 
in  you  for  I  trust  you  will  find  afriend  in  me;  where 
true  friendship  is  existing  happiness  will  exist  in 
the  pleasure  of  afriend;  the  generous  heart  will 
not  wish  to  make  himself  happy  in  the  misery  of  his 
friend;  but  will  make  happiness  consist  not  in  the 
good  of  one  but  all.  Shall  I  find  you  like  minded. 
After  careful  examination  and  investigation  of  the 
subject  from  our  first  acquaintance,  I  am  convinced 
that  amore  particular  acquaintance  would  be  inter- 
esting to  me.  Much  however  depends  on  your  choice; 
and  the  freedom  of  your  situation.  I  hope  you  will 
not  be  delicate  about  giving  your  mind  on  the  sub- 
ject, trusting  you  will  find  a  generous  heart  to  deal 
with  one,  who  will  not  be  outdone  in  generosity.  I 
will  acknowledge  you  my  equal,  and,  I  trust  your  gen- 
erous heart  will  ask  no  more.  I  will  conclude  by 
refering  you  to  the  2.  Epistle  of  John  I2th. 

"Whitehall  April  the  loth 

W  [ALTER]    WRIGHT. 

"  M.  C." 

It  was  my  father's  lot  to  settle  on  the  old  home- 
stead and  to  have  the  care  of  his  mother  until  her 
death  in  1847.  On  this  account  our  house  was  the  cen- 
ter for  the  family  gatherings,  which  were  frequent  and 


Happy  Days  of   Childhood  19 

numerous;  for  I  was  blessed  with  an  unusual  num- 
ber of  cousins,  all  of  whom  were  pleasant  and  worthy 
companions.  As  I  have  already  said, .  five  of  my 
father's  brothers  and  one  of  his  sisters  were  married 
and  settled  upon  adjoining  farms. 

I  was  born  on  the  22d  of  January,  1838.  When 
I  was  twelve  years  old  there  were  forty-seven  cousins 
in  the  Wright  family  in  the  neighborhood  and  twelve 
or  fifteen  upon  the  Colburn  side.  One  of  my  father's 
sisters  had  married  Perez  Chapin,  a  Congregational 
minister  of  the  old  style,  who  settled  for  life  in  Pow- 
nal,  Maine.  There  were  five  cousins  in  this  house- 
hold. The  only  brother  of  my  father  who  had 
strayed  from  the  fold  was  my  uncle  Ira,  who  was  a 
physician  and  had  been  a  surgeon  in  the  war  of  1812, 
but  was  now  settled  in  Watertown,  New  York.  A 
brother  and  two  sisters  of  my  mother  had  removed 
to  the  vicinity  of  Warsaw  in  central  New  York. 
The  cousins  in  all  these  families  periodically  visited 
the  old  homestead  and  brought  with  them  ideas  from 
the  outside  world.  We  all  belonged  to  the  Puritan 
stock  and  our  amusements  were  of  the  most  innocent 
character,  but  a  happier  society  than  that  in  which 
I  spent  my  childhood  it  would  'be  difficult  to  imag- 
ine, and  here  I  may  say  that  of  these  seventy  or  more 
cousins  all  have  had  honorable  and  useful  careers, 


2O  Story  of  My  Life 

while  a  number  of  them  rose  to  positions  of  marked 
importance. 

Moses  Colburn  was  a  very  learned  and  efficient 
clergyman  for  many  years  in  South  Dedham,  Mas- 
sachusetts. Jarvis  Adams,  son  of  my  father's  young- 
est sister,  was  a  lawyer  of  eminence  and  became 
president  of  the  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  and  Ohio 
R.  R.  Simeon  Wright  became  prominent  in  educa- 
tional matters  in  Illinois,  and  his  brother  Grove  a 
horticulturist,  who  made  distinct  additions  to  the 
world's  knowledge  of  the  processes  of  vegetable  life, 
and  was  withal  a  poet  widely  recognized  among  the 
poets  of  Illinois.  Albert  Colburn  graduated  from 
West  Point  and  was  chief  of  McClellan's  staff,  at 
the  time  of  his  death  in  the  midst  of  the  Civil  War, 
while  my  brothers  Johnson  and  Eugene  had  long 
and  successful  careers  as  professors  in  two  of  the 
most  useful  western  colleges. 

It  is  interesting  and  instructive  in  this  connection 
to  call  attention  to  other  men  of  note  who  in  their 
boyhood  received  the  impress  of  the  influences  which 
permeated  "  the  Wright  neighborhood."  Rev.  Joseph 
Mansfield,  for  many  years  a  prominent  minister  and 
presiding  elder  of  the  Methodist  Church  in  the  Bos- 
ton district,  and  Reverends  Allen  Clark  and  Henry 
Skeeles,  for  a  long  time  most  useful  home  missionaries 
in  the  West,  were  one  with  us  during  all  the  days 


Happy  Days  of  Childhood  21 

• 

of  their  boyhood.  Honorable  William  Pitt  Kellogg, 
military  governor  of  Louisiana  during  the  Civil  War, 
and  senator  from  that  state,  through  whose  effective 
stand  the  electors  from  that  state  were  recognized  in 
the  presidential  canvass  of  1875,  thus  securing  the 
election  to  the  presidency  of  Rutherford  B.  Hayes, 
was  the  son  of  one  of  the  ministers  who  for  consid- 
erable time  during  my  childhood  occupied  the  pulpit 
of  our  church.  Honorable  Solomon  Spink,  appointed 
by  President  Buchanan  as  the  first  governor  of  the 
territory  of  Dakota,  and  whose  name  is  perpetuated 
in  "  Spink "  County,  South  Dakota,  was  another 
familiar  companion  in  those  halcyon  days. 

The  influences  which  led  to  the  dispersion  of  this 
numerous1  company  of  relatives  afford  an  instructive 
illustration  of  the  powerful  forces  at  work  in  shap- 
ing the  course  of  our  national  history  and  in  raising 
new  and  difficult  problems  in  our  social,  economic, 
religious,  and  national  life.  The  opening  of  the  Erie 
Canal,  and  later  the  development  of  our  railroad  sys- 
tem, brought  the  markets  of  the  East  and  the  West- 
closer  together,  so  that  products  of  the  farms  raised 
in  Whitehall  had  no  special  advantage  over  those  in 
central  New  York  and  in  the  region  of  the  Great 
Lakes.  Besides,  it  was  impossible  that  forty-seven 
children,  which  was  the  number  of  the  Wright  cous- 
ins in  and  near  the  homestead,  should  get  an  hon- 


22  Story  of  My  Life 

orable  living  from  a  tract  of  land  that  was  only 
sufficient  for  seven  families.  Dispersion  was  there- 
fore an  absolute  necessity  and  everything  was  beck- 
oning them  to  the  West.  One  after  another  they 
began  to  settle  in  Ohio,  Michigan,  Wisconsin,  Illi- 
nois, Iowa,  and  Nebraska.  This  process  has  now 
gone  on  so  far  that  only  the  son  of  one  cousin  re- 
mains in  the  neighborhood.  But  they  have  not  been 
lost  to  the  nation.  One  of  my  cousins  has  sixty  de- 
scendants in  Ohio  and  Michigan,  and  altogether  the 
progeny  of  the  enterprising  couple  who  set  out  from 
Pittsfield  for  Whitehall  with  all  their  belongings  on 
horseback  in  1783  has  increased  until  it  numbers 
nearly  300,  or  75  fold  in  a  little  over  a  century.  If 
this  increase  should  go  on  without  interruption  dur- 
ing the  next  ten  centuries  the  blood  of  my  grand- 
parents would  mingle  with  nearly  half  of  the  nation ; 
but  of  course  the  principle  of  natural  selection  comes 
in  to  limit  the  growth  of  any  one  scion  of  the  human 
species  and  it  remains  to  be  seen  how  well  equipped 
in  the  struggle  for  existence  our  family  is,  and  I  am 
bound  to  admit  that  many  tendencies  are  at  work 
which  will  prevent  their  filling  the  land  as  the  mathe- 
matical calculations  in  geometrical  progression  would 
show  that  they  might  do  if  they  were  unrestrained. 
To  a  large  extent  they  have  abandoned  agriculture. 
Many  of  them  have  chosen  not  to  marry,  and  the 


Happy  Days  of  Childhood  23 

families  of  nearly  all  are  less  than  half  the  size  of 
that  of  their  grandparents. 

During  the  period  previous  to  1850,  in  which  we 
were  clustered  about  the  old  homestead,  life  went 
on  in  the  even  tenor  of  its  way,  still  with  variety 
enough  to  make  it  seem  like  a  golden  age  in  the  past. 
The  life  upon  the  farm  is  necessarily  varied,  and 
dealing  as  it  does  with  living  objects  in  both  the 
animal  and  the  vegetable  world,  it  never  can  settle 
down  and  become  mere  mechanical  humdrum.  In 
the  early  spring  the  maple  trees  were  to  be  tapped, 
the  sap  collected,  and  boiled  down  to  that  most  de- 
licious of  all  sweets,  maple  sugar.  Much  of  this  was 
for  home  consumption,  being  packed  away  in  firkins 
or  in  the  form  of  syrup  sealed  in  jugs  and  jars;  but 
a  considerable  portion,  especially  in  the  early  part  of 
the  season,  was  taken  to  market.  With  the  market- 
ing I  was  often  entrusted  at  a  very  early  age.  My 
father  had,  and  maintained,  the  reputation  of  getting 
the  earliest  sugar,  which  is  the  most  delicious,  into 
the  market.  When  I  would  appear  in  the  village 
with  a  basket  of  small  cakes  of  sugar  obtained  from 
the  earliest  "  run  "  of  sap  there  was  eager  rivalry  to 
secure  at  a  high  price  the  small  portions  of  the  cov- 
eted sweet  which  were  doled  out. 

My    father   made   some   marked    improvements    in 


24  Story  of  My  Life 

the  manufacture  of  maple  sugar.  Formerly  the  sap 
was  boiled  down  in  the  big  potash  kettles,  which  were 
either  swung  on  poles  over  the  fire  or  set  up  in  an 
arch  of  more  or  less  imperfect  construction.  By  this 
process  some  of  the  sugar  was  sure  to  be  buined  on 
the  upper  edges  of  the  kettle,  discoloring  the  whole 
and  giving  to  it  an  unpleasant  taste.  Besides,  in  or- 
der to  keep  it  from  boiling  over  when  the  syrup  was 
approaching  the  desired  thickness  it  was  necessary  to 
pour  some  kind  of  oil  upon  the  surface.  This  was 
usually  accomplished  by  hanging  a  piece  of  fat  pork 
on  such  a  level  that  whenever  the  foaming  liquid 
reached  above  a  certain  point  it  would  automatically 
obtain  the  requisite  regulating  film  of  fatty  material. 
This,  added  to  the  dust  and  smoke  which  became  in- 
corporated in  the  liquid,  gave  a  dark  color  to  the 
whole  which  greatly  deteriorated  its  value. 

But  my  father,  anticipating  later  inventions,  made 
evaporators  out  of  sheet  iron  nailed  upon  the  bottom 
of  boards  turned  upon  edge  to  form  the  sides.  This 
prevented  all  burning  and,  being  carefully  housed, 
protected  the  delicate  syrup  from  the  incorporation 
of  dust  and  smoke.  At  the  same  time  it  obviated  the 
necessity  of  mingling  the  fatty  substance  with  the 
liquor  to  prevent  the  boiling  over. 

Everything  living  has  an  individuality.  This  is 
as  true  of  maple  trees  as  of  anything  else.  There 


Happy  Days  of  Childhood  25 

were  favorite  monarchs  of  the  forest  which  poured 
forth  their  liquid  treasures  early  and  late  in  large 
quantities  and  of  especial  sweetness.  For  these  we 
came  to  have  a  special  affection  and  it  was  a  coveted 
privilege  to  gather  the  sap  from  the  over-running 
buckets  which  caught  the  fruits  of  their  labor.  Both 
the  buckets  and  the  spouts  were  home-made,  the 
buckets  being  made  of  cedar  staves  so  bevelled  that 
they  were,  larger  at  the  bottom.  The  buckets  varied 
in  size,  the  larger  ones  being  assigned  to  our  favorite 
trees.  The  spouts  were  usually  made  from  sumac,  a 
section  of  the  stem  of  the  proper  length  being  sawn 
half  way  through  on  opposite  sides  of  each  end,  so  as  to 
leave  two  plugs  which  could  be  whittled  down  to  the 
size  of  the  holes  bored  in  the  tree.  Cleaning  out  the 
pith  of  the  stem  left  a  hole  through  which  the  sap 
could  find  an  exit  and  a  channel  through  which  to 
conduct  it  to  a  distance  from  the  tree  sufficient  to 
ensure  a  firm  foundation  for  the  bucket  which  was 
to  receive  it.  The  gathering  of  the  sap  after  a  fine 
"  run  "  was  most  exciting  business,  and  furnished  a 
delightful  recreation  for  numbers  of  my  cousins 
whose  parents  had  no  sugar  orchard,  and  who  reg- 
ularly visited  us  at  this  season  of  the  year.  And  oh 
the  delights  of  "  sugaring  off "  the  precious  sweet, 
of  "  waxing  "  it  on  snow  and  of  making  it  into  cakes 
of  fantastic  shapes,  filling  ourselves  with  it  mean- 


26  Story  of  My  Life 

while   to  our  utmost  capacity!     There   is   no   sweet 
like  early  made,  fresh,  pure,  maple  syrup. 

But  each  season  of  the  year  had  its  appropriate 
recreations  as  Well  as  its  duties.  The  Puritanism  of 
my  childhood  was  not  depressing  by  any  means.  In 
the  late  spring  and  early  summer  fish  abounded  in 
East  Bay,  where  they  came  up  from  Lake  Chani- 
plain  to  spawn,  being  finally  entrapped  in  the  basin 
below  Carver's  Falls.  Nothing  could  be  more  ex- 
citing than  to  go  with  the  grown-up  relatives,  who 
often  came  from  near  and  far  to  fish  with  seines  for 
the  lively  pike  and  shad  which  filled  the  waters  of 
this  stream.  Later  we  were  taken  by  Uncle  Orin  in 
his  old  age  to  fish  for  perch  and  bullpouts  in  the 
ponds  which  sheltered  them.  On  the  way  to  and 
fro  this  good  uncle  told  us  the  names  of  the  trees 
and  shrubs  which  we  passed,  and  gave  directions 
where  to  find  the  bloodroot  and  sassafras  and  sarsa- 
parilla  and  peppermint  and  wintergreen  which  grew 
in  protected  places.  These  were  our  first  lessons  in 
botany,  and  they  were  better  than  those  we  after- 
wards got  in  college.  We  learned  to  know  every 
tree  of  the  forest  by  its  bark  as  well  as  by  its  leaf. 
As  I  was  less  robust  than  the  other  boys,  this  good 
uncle  would  frequently  take  me  up  under  his  arm 
and  carry  me  a  long  distance  over  the  roughest 
ground.  Oh  happy  days  of  childhood! 


Happy  Days  of  Childhood  27 

In  the  autumn  there  were  husking  bees  and  apple 
parings  which  brought  all  the  neighbors  together  and 
made  work  a  play.  It  was  great  fun  on  a  moonlight 
evening  to  compete  with  one  another  to  see  which 
could  husk  a  shock  of  corn  the  quickest.  As  the 
apple  parings  were  in  the  house  they  were  not  de- 
pendent on  the  weather.  It  was  fun  to  see  the  older 
boys  pare  the  apples  on  their  rudely  constructed  ma- 
chines, and  the  girls  quarter  and  core  them,  while 
we  younger  ones  strung  the  quarters  on  long  cotton 
strings  preparatory  to  being  hung  up  for  drying. 
And  the  product  was  far  better  than  that  produced 
by  modern  processes. 

In  the  winter  there  were  spelling  matches  and  skat- 
ing parties,  which  gave  us  all  the  variety  that  a  boy 
or  girl  could  well  ask.  With  all  these  diversions  we 
did  not  feel  robbed  of  pleasure  because  we  were  not 
permitted  to  attend  dances  and  circuses,  and  take 
promiscuous  rides  to  various  pleasure  resorts  of  ill 
repute. 

Nor  in  this  connection  should  I  fail  to  pay  a  proper 
tribute  to  the  little  country  church  which  our  family 
habitually  attended,  and  of  which  I  early  became  a 
member.  This  was  two  miles  and  a  half  away,  so 
that  the  family  team  was  got  in  order  every  Sunday 
morning  to  take  all  but  one  of  the  family  to  the  ser- 


28  Story  of  My  Life 

vices,  which  consisted  of  a  sermon  in  both  the  fore- 
noon and  afternoon,  with  a  Sunday  School  between, 
and  time  to  eat  a  frugal  lunch.  The  duty  of  the 
one  who  stayed  at  home  was  to  guard  the  premises, 
watch  the  bees  which  were  likely  to  swarm  in  their 
season,  and  to  prepare  a  bountiful  meal  for  the  hun- 
gry worshipers  on  their  return  in  the  middle  of  the 
afternoon.  Those  who  failed  to  attend  the  church 
services  missed  a  most  valuable  and  important  social 
occasion.  For,  at  the  church  were  gathered  the  best 
people  for  miles  in  every  direction,  who  would  rarely 
meet  but  for  this.  Thus  I  came  to  know  and  be 
interested  in  all  the  principal  families  of  the  vicinity, 
and  to  know  what  was  going  on  around  me.  This 
enlargement  of  my  mental  horizon  was  of  incalcu- 
lable service.  The  ministers,  as  became  a  Congre- 
gational church  of  Puritan  connection,  were  highly 
educated  men,  who  preached  over  the  heads  of  the 
children,  but  even  so  left  an  indelible  impression  on 
my  mind.  I  distinctly  remember,  after  more  than 
sixty  years,  many  of  the  sermons  of  those  days. 

Just  here  I  want  to  pay  my  tribute  to  two  of  these 
cultivated  clergymen,  whose  influence  was  deep  and 
permanent  upon'  all  our  lives.  Rev.  Mr.  Herrick 
was  a  Yale  graduate,  and  his  wife  was  a  sister  of 
Dr.  Dutton  of  New  Haven.  This  family  brought 
cultivating  influences  of  the  highest  sort  into  the 


Happy  Days  of  Childhood  29 

church  and  community,  and,  fortunately  for  me, 
could  find  no  house  vacant  in  which  to  live  except  in 
our  immediate  neighborhood,  thus  intensifying  his 
influence  upon  our  family.  It  is  interesting  to  note, 
also,  that  on  leaving  our  little  church,  Mr.  Herrick 
went  to  Ticonderoga  and  became  the  pastor  of  Joseph 
Cook  during  the  most  impressionable  years  of  his 
boyhood.  Mr.  Finch,  who  followed  Mr.  Herrick, 
was  likewise  a  most  scholarly  and  cultivated  man, 
whose  sermons  were  all  carefully  written  and  who 
never  dared  to  speak  without  his  manuscript,  but 
even  so,  the  impressions  he  left  upon  my  mind  were 
indelible.  Little  did  either  of  these  men  know  how 
vital  were  the  seeds  of  truth  which  they  planted  in 
the  hearts  of  their  youthful  auditors.  But  wte  did 
not  always  have  our  regular  preachers.  Among 
those  who  occasionally  filled  the  pulpit  was  Elder 
Grant,  an  uncle  of  the  celebrated  Joseph  Cook,  a  man 
who  had  much  of  his  nephew's  genius.  But  he  was 
illiterate,  and  was  devoting  his  life  to  missionary 
work  among  the  sailors  who,  at  that  time,  before 
railroads,  thronged  Lake  Champlain  and  its  con- 
necting canal.  His  wit  and  readiness  to  turn  any 
untoward  event  to  a  good  purpose  was  proverbial. 
At  one  time  he  was  announcing  at  the  close  of  his 
discourse  the  subject  of  his  sermon  on  the  next  Sun- 
day. To  illustrate  his  point  and  make  it  emphatic  he 


3O  Story  of  My  Life 

took  up  the  pulpit  Bible  and  said  he  was  to  prove  his 
points  from  within  the  lids  of  that  book.  But  unfor- 
tunately it  was  in  a  very  dilapidated  condition  and 
the  leaves  fell  out  and  were  scattered  far  and  wide 
by  the  breeze  that  came  in  at  a  window.  He  made 
no  further  remarks,  except  that  he  guessed  it  was  all 
there,  and  with  a  broad  smile,  which  spread  over  the 
whole  congregation,  closed  the  services.  It  is  need- 
less to  say,  that  on  the  next  Sabbath  there  was  a  new 
Bible  on  the  desk. 

It  not  infrequently  occurred  that  there  was  no 
preacher  provided  for  a  series  of  Sundays.  But  ser- 
vices were  not  discontinued  on  that  account.  At  such 
times  we  had  "  deacons'  meetings,"  when  one  of  these 
officials  conducted  the  service  and  had  a  sermon  read. 
From  my  twelfth  year  and  upwards  I  was  frequently 
called  on  to  read  the  sermon.  So  early  was  I  intro- 
duced to  the  work  which  I  afterwards  chose  as  mv 

i 

calling. 

My  mind  often  recurs  to  the  scenes  connected  with 
my  uniting  with  the  church,  and  the  lessons  it  teaches 
with  reference  to  the  significance  of  such  a  transac- 
tion. I  was  barely  twelve  years  old,  but  had  been 
moved  in  a  very  quiet  way  to  desire  to  make  a  public 
confession  of  Christ.  I  confided  this  to  my  sister  on 
a  long  horseback  ride  in  which  I  accompanied  her. 
She  in  turn  confided  it  to  my  mother.  And  so  it 


Happy  Days  of  Childhood  31 

came  about  that  I  was  invited  to  attend  the  afternoon 
meeting,  which  was  preparatory  to  the  communion. 
There  I  was  questioned  by  the  staid  members  who 
were  present  as  to  my  motives  in  wanting  to  unite 
with  the  church,  and  was  duly  propounded  for  mem- 
bership. Upon  the  following  Sabbath,  as  we  had  no 
regular  minister,  the  Rev.  Lewis  Kellogg,  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  in  the  village,  officiated.  I  stood  up 
alone  before  him  to  assent  to  the  creed  of  the  church, 
which  I  had  never  read,  and  to  the  dismay  of  the 
deacons  the  creed  could  not  be  found.  But  Mr.  Kel- 
logg came  to  their  relief  by  saying  that  he  would 
repeat  it  from  memory.  This  he  did  without  a 
break,  and  to  this  I  assented.  All  that  I  knew  was 
that  it  was  the  faith  of  the  best  people  with  whom  I 
was  acquainted,  and  I  judged  the  tree  by  its  fruits. 
The  experiences  of  a  long  life  have  not  changed  the 
conviction  formed  upon  that  primitive  evidence. 

In  this  connection  I  must  pay  my  tribute  to  the  in- 
fluence of  one  of  the  church  members  who  was  so 
much  of  an  invalid  that  she  never  left  her  house,  or 
indeed  her  room,  for  the  many  years  that  I  remained 
at  home.  This  was  Celinda  Manville,  who  lived 
with  an  unmarried  brother  about  half  way  between 
the  church  and  the  village  of  Whitehall.  Her  room 
looked  out  on  the  road  which  we  usually  took  in 
going  to  market,  so  that  she  could  see  every  one  who 


32  Story  of  My  Life 

passed.  Thus  she  kept  herself  informed  of  what  was 
going  on,  and  noted  the  growth  of  all  the  children 
of  the  neighborhood.  Occasionally  my  mother  took 
me  in  to  see  her.  There  I  learned  that  she  made  it 
her  business  to  pray  for  all  the  children  of  the  com- 
munity by  name.  Who  can  tell  but  she  occupied  the 
most  influential  position  of  all?  I  may  add  also  here, 
that  the  only  signature  of  my  grandmother  in  my 
possession  is  as  a  subscriber  to  a  pledge  that  she,  with 
other  women  who  formed  the  original  church  a  gen- 
eration before  I  was  born,  made  that  they  would 
spend  an  hour  each  week  in  private  prayer  for  their 
neighbors  and  friends  and  those  who  should  come 
after  them. 

My  education  began  in  the  country  schoolhouse  a 
half  mile  from  home,  where  we  gathered  for  three 
months  in  the  summer  and  an  equal  period  in  the 
winter  to  spend  the  time  from  nine  in  the  morning 
till  four  in  the  afternoon,  taking  our  lunch  with  us. 
The  games  we  played  during  the  recesses  and  the 
noon  hour  were  many  of  them  rougher  than  they 
should  have  been,  but  served  to  develop  my  physical 
strength,  which  was  none  too  great  at  that  stage  of 
my  life.  The  schoolroom  was  rude  in  all  its  furni- 
ture and  conveniences.  There  was  a  stove  in  the 
middle,  with  broad  desks  fastened  to  the  wall  on 


Happy  Days   of  Childhood  33 

three  sides,  upon  which  we  placed  our  books  when 
studying,  or  writing,  and  against  whose  serrate  edges 
(for  they  had  been  deeply  cut  into  by  boys  whose 
idle  hands  found  nothing  else  to  do)  we  braced  our 
backs  when  not  engaged  in  study.  In  the  summer 
the  school  was  taught  by  some  well-known  young 
lady  of  our  family  acquaintance,  and  in  the  winter 
by  an  equally  familiar  young  man.  With  these  we 
had  perhaps  the  year  before  been  companion  pupils. 
But  usually  they  had  little  difficulty  in  establishing 
order,  and  gaining  our  respect.  The  teaching  was 
rudimental,  but  effective  in  giving  us  a  knowledge 
of  the  three  R's  sufficient  for  all  practical  purposes. 

The  schoolrooms  were  not  provided  with  sanitary 
drinking  cups,  but  with  a  tin  pail,  from  the  side  of 
which  we  drank  as  well  as  we  could.  When  Mary 
White  came  to  school  with  the  measles  I  took  pains 
to  see  which  side  of  the  pail  she  drank  from  so  that 
I  should  not  take  the  disease  from  her.  But  my 
effort  was  in  vain.  I  caught  the  measles  and  gave 
them  to  the  rest  of  the  family- that  had  not  had  them, 
much  to  their  advantage  in  after  life. 

The  schools  usually  closed  with  some  sort  of  an 
exhibition,  in  which  both  the  girls  and  the  boys  took 
part.  My  very  earliest  remembrance  is  of  attending 
one  of  these  when  my  sister,  several  years  older  than 


34  Story   of  My   Life 

I,   with   feeling  gestures  and   trembling  voice   recited 
the  little  poem  beginning 

'  Twinkle,  twinkle,  little  star, 
How  I  wonder  what  you  are." 

My  own  most  memorable  effort  in  this  direction 
was  the  part  I  played  in  a  dialogue  with  George  Jack- 
son, which  involved  a  whale-fishing  scene,  in  which 
I  was  the  whale  and  he  the  harpooner.  We  made  ir 
as  realistic  as  we  could.  I  filled  my  mouth  witli 
water  from  the  tin  pail  and  floundered  around  on 
the  floor,  spouting  water  now  from  one  side  of  my 
mouth  and  then  from  the  other  while  he  endeavored 
to  harpoon  me  with  a  stick  which  had  a  pin  stuck  in 
the  end.  When  water  failed  I  interrupted  the  scene 
by  getting  up  and  running  to  the  tin  pail  to  get  a 
fresh  supply.  I  need  not  say  that  we  created  a  sen- 
sation, especially  as  we  took  both  the  teacher  and  the 
pupils  by  surprise. 

The  school  district  was  provided  with  a  library, 
which  had  been  partly  purchased  by  subscriptions  sev- 
eral years  before,  and  was  partly  paid  for  by  public 
funds  appropriated  for  that  purpose.  It  is  affecting 
to  read  over  the  names  of  the  original  subscribers, 
several  of  whom  I  only  knew  as  men  who  had  made 
wrecks  of  themselves  in  later  life,  yet  whose  good  in- 
tentions had  provided  me  with  a  most  important 


Happy  Days  of   Childhood  35 

means  of  securing  a  broad  education.  The  library 
was  kept  at  a  shoemaker's  house  half  way  between 
the  school  and  home.  The  number  of  books  was 
small,  but  the  quality  was  good.  Before  I  was  twelve 
years  old  I  had  drawn  and  read  all  the  volumes 
of  Rollins'  "Ancient  History,"  Stevens'  "  Travels  in 
Egypt,  Arabia  and  Palestine,"  and  Fremont's  report 
of  his  expedition  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  as  well  as 
some  others.  Stevens'  Travels  was  read  aloud  to  my 
mother  winter  mornings  before  light,  after  I  had 
fed  the  horses  in  the  stable,  and  while  she  was  get- 
ting the  breakfast. 

But,  better  than  all,  a  trying  calamity  to  my 
father  worked  greatly  to  my  benefit.  When  some- 
what past  middle  life  he  suffered  from  an  inflamma- 
tion of  the  eyes  which,  while  it  did  not  prevent  his 
seeing  sufficiently  to  attend  to  his  general  duties,  did 
make  it  impossible  for  him  to  read  with  any  satis- 
faction. The  result  was  that  I  was  set  the  task  of 
reading  the  papers  aloud  to  him.  The  paper  which 
I  read  most  faithfully  was  The  National  Era,  pub- 
lished at  Washington  and  edited  by  Gamaliel  Bailey. 
This  paper  contained  full  reports  of  the  great  speeches 
made  in  Congress  by  the  unrivaled  political  leaders 
of  that  time,  such  as  Daniel  Webster,  John  C.  Cal- 
houn,  Henry  Clay,  Thomas  Benton,  John  P.  Hale, 
and  others  of  less  renown.  Whittier  was  a  contrib- 


36  Story  of  My  Life 

utor,  and,  best  of  all,  Harriet  Beecher  Stowe  was 
contributing  her  masterpiece,  "  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin," 
which  I  then  read  aloud  and  have  never  dared  to 
read  since,  lest  the  first  flavor  should  be  lost.  The 
Emancipator,  edited  by  Joshua  Leavitt,  was  another 
invaluable  paper  which  had  to  be  read,  also  the 
Oberlin  Evangelist,  with  the  regular  sermons  of  Pro- 
fessor Finney.  We  also  took  The  Independent  from 
the  beginning  of  its  publication.  All  this,  with  the 
Bible,  which  was  read  daily  at  family  prayers,  and 
which  I  read  through  in  course  more  than  once,  fur- 
nished no  small  part  of  fa  liberal  education. 

To  supplement  our  district  schools  there  were 
"  select  schools  "  taught  every  autumn  by  more  ad- 
vanced teachers,  who  were  able  to  carry  the  pupils 
farther  along  in  their  studies  than  could  be  done  in 
the  public  schools.  These  were  attended  by  the  older 
boys  and  girls.  I  think  I  never  but  one  season  had 
the  privilege  of  attending  them.  But  incidentally  I 
received  much  advantage  in  associating  with  the 
pupils  and  teachers,  some  of  whom  boarded  at  our 
house.  One  of  these  teachers,  Michael  R.  Kelley, 
an  Irishman  of  broad  education,  exerted  a  strong  in- 
fluence on  a  number  of  the  older  boys  and  got  several 
of  them  started  on  the  way  to  college.  He  made 
his  home  at  our  house,  and  took  much  interest  in 
helping  me  to  understand  a  book  on  natural  philoso- 


Happy    Days    of    Childhood  37 

phy  which  fell  into  my  hands.  Mr.  Kelley  after- 
wards went  to  Illinois,  where  he  became  prominent 
in  shaping  the  educational  institutions  of  that  State. 

My  grandfather  showed  his  interest  in  the  educa- 
tion of  his  children  by  building  a  house  in  Castleton. 
Vermont,  ten  miles  away,  where  his  children  could 
live  during  a  portion  of  the  year  in  proximity  to 
an  Academy  which  was  established  there  at  an  early 
date.  This  house  ceased  to  be  occupied  by  the  family 
when  his  grandchildren  came  to  need  its  advantages, 
but  the  reputation  of  the  school  drew  them  there  in 
large  numbers.  Here  many  of  my  cousins  went  to 
carry  on  their  education  to  fit  themselves  for  college, 
or  for  more  immediate  entrance  into  the  duties  of 
later  life.  The  school  had  a  wide  reputation  and 
was  patronized  by  both  girls  and  boys.  But  when  I 
came  of  an  age  that  I  needed  the  privileges  which  the 
school  afforded,  it  had  been  transformed  into  a  fe- 
male seminary.  So  great,  however,  was  the  pressure 
from  certain  families  to  send  their  boys  there,  that  a 
dormitory  was  built  in  close  proximity  to  the  main 
building  and  fifteen  or  twenty  boys  were  admitted  to 
the  school.  I  was  among  them,  and  there  carried  on 
my  preparation  for  college.  As  I  was  too  young  and 
bashful  to  care  much  for  the  society  of  young  ladies, 
their  presence  did  not  interfere  with  my  progress  in 
study.  We  had  good  teachers,  all  of  whom  have  since 


38        .  Story  of  My  Life 

filled  prominent  places  in  the  educational  work  of  the 
nation.  I  could  not  ask  to  have  been  associated  with 
nobler  men,  or  more  accomplished  teachers.  Among 
them  were  the  distinguished  brothers,  George  N.  and 
S.  W.  Boardman,  graduates  of  Middlebury  College, 
Professor  Aikin,  of  Dartmouth,  and  Rollin  Ballard,  of 
Vermont  University. 

Following  the  usual  course,  I  was  engaged  to  teach 
a  district  school  as  soon  as  I  had  got  a  little  ahead  of 
the  younger  children  of  the  neighborhood.  To  me  this 
invitation  came  before  I  was  seventeen  years  old.  The 
school  was  two  miles  from  home  in  the  district  where 
William  Miller  had  lived,  who  created  such  a  com- 
motion throughout  the  country  from  1830  to  1848 
in  prophesying  that  the  end  of  the  world  was -to 
occur  between  those  dates.  He  was  not  living  at 
this  time,  but  I  boarded  with  his  son,  in  the  old 
homestead,  and  had  several  of  his  grandchildren 
among  my  pupils.  He  had  died  so  recently,  how- 
ever, that  I  had  a  distinct  remembrance  of  his 
personal  appearance.  He  was  a  dignified,  serious 
looking  man,  who  was  evidently  sincere  in  the  beliet 
that  he  had  found  the  proper  interpretation  of  Dan- 
iel's prophecy,  and,  by  making  a  day  in  prophecy 
always  equal  a  year,  he  was  persuaded  that  the  sec- 
ond coming  of  Christ  and  the  end  of  the  world  was 
to  take  place  in  1843.  It  is  said  that  as  many  as 


Happy  Days  of   Childhood  39 

40,000  persons  became  convinced  of  the  correctness 
of  his  interpretations  and  prepared  themselves  for 
the  soul-searching  event.  Large  numbers,  clothed  in 
ascension  robes,  gathered  in  the  little  church  near 
Mr.  Miller's  house,  and  in  other  places  throughout 
New  England.  The  largest  number  of  all  was  as- 
sembled in  Boston.  Excitement  was  increased  by  the 
appearance  in  the  heavens  of  a  flaming  comet,  which 
was  naturally  supposed  to  be  a  harbinger  of  the  ap- 
proaching catastrophe. 

But  the  interpretation  proved  to  be  fallacious.  Mr. 
Miller,  however,  accepted  the  disappointment  as  be- 
came the  sincere  man  that  he  was,  and  said  that  the 
Book  must  be  true,  though  all  men  were  liars,  and 
settled  down  in  the  expectation  that  the  event  was 
near  at  hand,  though  no  man  could  tell  the  exact 
hour  or  day.  Thirty  years  later,  in  1873,  while  on 
a  vacation  tour  through  New  Hampshire,  I  came 
upon  an  encampment  of  Millerites  on  Lake  Winne- 
pesaukee,  who  fully  believed  that  they  had  found  the 
mistake  in  their  leader's  calculation.  They  believed 
that  he  should  have  reckoned  from  the  beginning  of 
Christ's  ministry  rather  than  from  his  birth,  and  so  had 
made  a  mistake  of  exactly  thirty  years.  When  I  re- 
membered the  shock  to  faith  in  the  Bible  in  our  neigh- 
borhood in  1847,  when  Prophet  Miller's  calculations 
were  proved  fallacious,  my  heart  sank  within  me  as 


40  Story  of  My  Life 

I  looked  on  this  great  company  of  earnest  men  and 
women  who  were  clinging  to  this  delusion.  It  is  to 
be  hoped  that  they  joined  the  large  number  of  more 
moderate  interpreters  who  look  for  the  second  com- 
ing some  time  in  the  near  future,  but  are  not  willing 
to  set  any  definite  date.  I  have  never  ceased  to  be 
thankful  for  the  influence  exerted  over  me  and  the 
others  who  attended  the  little  Congregational  church 
in  East  Whitehall,  by  the  educated  ministers  who  re- 
strained us  from  unprofitable  speculation  concerning 
the  interpretation  of  prophecy. 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  41 


CHAPTER    II 

COLLEGE  DAYS  AT  OBERLIN 

THE  close  of  the  first  district  school  which  I 
taught,  brought  me  at  the  age  of  seventeen  to  the 
great  crisis  of  my  life,  when  I  was  to  leave  home  to 
enter  upon  a  collegiate  education.  The  question  where 
I  was  to  go  was  easily  determined.  Though  I  had 
the  greatest  regard  for  my  teachers  from  Middlebury, 
Burlington,  and  Dartmouth,  who  instructed  me  at 
Castleton,  it  was  foreordained  that  I  should  go  to 
Oberlin  College,  in  Ohio,  700  miles  from  home. 
The  providential  influences  which  brought  this  about 
were  numerous  and  imperative.  The  Institution  at 
Oberlin  was  founded  in  1833  by  two  remarkable  men 
from  our  neighborhood,  John  J.  Shipherd  and  Philo 
P.  Stewart.  Through  their  influence  my  father  and 
my  uncle  William  became  interested  in  the  enter- 
prise and  contributed  to  its  establishment.  My  uncle 
William,  I  think,  gave  $500  and  sent  one  of  his 
neighbor's  children  there  to  be  enrolled  in  the  first 
classes  that  were  formed.  Later  two  of  his  own  chil- 
dren were  sent  there  for  a  time,  though  neither  of 
these  stayed  long. 


42  Story  of  My  Life 

Several  things  kept  up  our  interest  in  the  Institu- 
tion. First,  there  was  the  anti-slavery  agitation  which 
had  won  over  our  families.  The  conversion  of  Uncle 
William  to  anti-slavery  views  came  about  in  an  in- 
teresting way.  While  he  was  engaged  in  holding  a 
scythe  to  sharpen  it  on  the  grindstone,  which  his  hired 
man  (a  Mr.  Saunders,  for  whose  intellectual  ability 
he  had  little  respect)  was  turning,  a  heated  discus- 
sion arose  between  them  over  the  rights  of  the  Ne- 
groes, and  the  responsibility  of  the  North  for  their 
emancipation.  In  this  discussion  the  ignorant  hired 
man  evidently  had  the  best  of  the  argument.  Uncle 
William  wisely  concluded  that  if  such  an  ignoramus 
as  Saunders  could  keep  ahead  of  him  in  an  argument, 
he  must  have  the  best  side  in  the  case.  The  result 
was  the  addition  of  a  gallant  champion  to  the  anti- 
slavery  cause.  But  my  father  and  mother  needed  no 
such  accident  to  make  them  take  the  side  of  the  op- 
pressed. 

A  second  reason  for  our  attachment  to  Oberlin 
was  sympathy  with  the  religious  influences  which 
were  prominent  in  giving  character  to  the  Institution. 
My  father,  though  a  man  of  few  words,  was  a  pro- 
found thinker  on  theological  and  philosophical  sub- 
jects, and  early  took  sides  with  the  New  School  party 
in  the  Presbyterian  and  Congregational  churches,  led 
by  Albert  Barnes,  Doctor  N.  S.  S.  Beman  of  Troy, 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  43 

Doctor  Joshua  Leavitt  (editor  of  the  New  York 
Evangelist),  and  especially  by  Charles  G.  Finney, 
whose  agency  was  supreme  in  promoting  religious 
revivals  in  central  New  York  and  elsewhere  during 
the  ten  years  previous  to  the  establishing  of  Oberlin. 
The  removal  of  Finney  to  Oberlin  in  1835,  and  the 
establishing  of  the  theological  department  there  with 
him  as  its  leading  professor,  greatly  intensified  the 
original  interest  in  the  institution.'  Therefore  the 
Oberlin  Evangelist  with  its  sermons  of  Finney  and 
other  kindred  matter  became  a  regular  visitor,  and 
continued  such  as  long  as  it  was  published,  a  period 
of  nearly  thirty  years.  As  already  remarked,  sermons 
from  the  Oberlin  Evangelist  were  frequently  read  on 
Sunday  at  the  deacons'  meetings  at  the  little  white 
church  when  there  was  no  preacher  present. 

Politically  my  father  sympathized  in  general  with 
the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party,  but  in  1844 
voted  for  James  G.  Birney  on  the  Free-soil  ticket, 
and  ever  afterwards  acted  with  the  Free-soil  party, 
in  this  respect  following  the  lead  of  the  men  at  Ober- 
lin, who  never  joined  with  the  ultra,  or  Garrisonian, 
abolitionists,  who  refused  to  take  part  in  the  govern- 
ment because  of  its  connection  with  slavery.  My 
memory  of  political  discussions  before  I  was  twelve 
years  old  is  limited  to  two  utterances  made  in  my 
hearing  concerning  diverse  subjects.  One  was  by  my 


44  Story  of  My  Life 

brother  Johnson  to  the  effect  that  if  war  was  declared 
on  Mexico  it  would  be  the  "  death  knell  "  of  slavery. 
I  could  not  have  been  more  than  six  years  old  at  that 
time.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  I  looked  long  for  the 
fulfillment  of  that  prophecy.  Another  political  bit 
of  wisdom  illustrates  how  mistaken  political  shibbo- 
leths are  wont  to  be.  I  do  not  know  how  I  should 
remember  it,  since  I  was  so  young  when  it  was 
made,  but  I  do  remember  that  one  of  my  uncles  be- 
rated Lewis  Cass  in  my  presence  for  asking  for  appro- 
priations to  improve  St.  Clair  Flats.  The  contempt 
that  he  threw  into  the  words  "  St.  Clair  Flats  "  was 
most  impressive.  When  now  I  pass  Detroit  and  go 
through  St.  Clair  Flats  and  note  that  the  tonnage 
passing  through  the  canal  which  Cass  with  such  fore- 
thought promoted,  is  many  times  that  passing  through 
the  Suez  Canal,  this  mistaken  political  shibboleth  al- 
ways comes  to  mind. 

With  this  interest  in  Oberlin  it  was  natural  that 
the  children  should  one  by  one  go  there  for  their 
education.  So  in  due  time,  my  oldest  brother,  John- 
son, of  blessed  memory,  went  there  to  graduate  from 
college  in  1855,  and  theology  in  1859.  My  only 
sister,  Marcia,  graduated  in  1854.  I  entered  the 
college  class  of  1859,  and  graduated  from  theology 
in  1862.  My  youngest  brother,  Walter  Eugene 
Colburn,  graduated  in  1865.  Meanwhile  another 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  45 

brother  and  an  adopted  sister  were  students  there  for 
a  short  time. 

It  was  in  the  spring  of  1855  that  I  left  home  to 
join  my  class  in  Oberlin.  Instead  of  the  through 
trains  which  now  run  with  such  regularity  and  speed 
through  the  state  of  New  York  from  Boston  to 
Chicago  there  were  several  separate  roads,  having 
no  connection  with  one  another,  hence  we  were  com- 
pelled to  change  cars  several  times.  Magnificent 
steamboats,  however,  were  running  from  Buffalo  to 
Cleveland,  which  might  be  taken  for  that  part  of  the 
distance.  But  on  my  first  attempt  to  go  by  steamer, 
there  was  a  collision  with  a  sailing  vessel  soon  after 
leaving  the  port  at  Buffalo,  which  came  near  sinking 
us.  But  we  were  able  to  get  safely  back  and  were 
put  on  board  a  railroad  train  which  would  take  us 
to  Erie,  Pennsylvania,  where  the  trains  were  so 
scheduled  that  the  night  had  to  be  spent  in  that  town, 
to  the  advantage  of  the  hotel  keepers.  Later,  when  it 
was  proposed  to  obviate  this  difficulty  and  enable 
passengers  to  go  through  Erie  without  change,  there 
was  a  railroad  war  which  attracted  attention  through- 
out the  country. 

On  reaching  Oberlin  my  future  was  greatly  in- 
fluenced by  the  boarding  place  which  my  brother 
had  selected  for  me.  This  was  with  a  most  worthy 
and  motherly  widow  living  a  mile  west  of  the  village, 


46  Story  of  .My  Life 

and  had  been  the  home  of  both  my  sister  and  brother 
during  much  of  their  time  in  Oberlin.  Mrs.  Delia 
Shepard,  who  took  the  place  of  a  second  mother  to 
me,  was  sister-in-law  to  Lorenzo  D.  Shepard,  an  emi- 
nent lawyer,  then  the  city  attorney  of  New  York 
City  and  the  father  of  Edward  Morse  Shepard,  who 
later  became  so  prominent  a  factor  in  cleansing  the 
politics  of  the  Democratic  party,  to  which  he  was, 
after  the  example  of  his  father,  devotedly  attached. 
Lorenzo  Shepard  was  a  delegate  to  the  Democratic 
convention  at  Cincinnati  in  the  summer  of  1855 
which  nominated  Buchanan  for  the  presidency.  This 
led  to  a  short  visit  of  his  wife  to  her  sister  in  Ober- 
lin, while  Mr.  Shepard  was  in  attendance  at  the 
convention.  It  was  then  that  my  acquaintance  with 
Edward  M.  Shepard  began,  an  acquaintance  which 
was  continued  later  when  he  spent  a  year  in  Oberlin 
with  his  aunt,  and  which  ripened  into  a  lifelong  friend- 
ship which  had  a  profound  influence  upon  both  of  us. 
To  this  I  will  return  later. 

It  was  one  of  the  admirable  things  in.  the  life  of 
Oberlin  at  this  time,  and  I  am  glad  to  say  is  still  so 
to  a  considerable  extent,  that  the  students  for  the 
most  part  boarded  in  homes,  and  not  in  dormitories. 
The  opportunity  this  offered  to  middle-aged  women, 
left  to  provide  for  the  support  of  their  families  by 
making  a  home  for  students,  was  of  great  advantage 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  47 

both  to  them  and  to  the  life  of  the  place.  The  names 
of  the  numerous  matrons  where  we  boarded  became 
household  words,  which  bring  up  pleasantest  memories 
whenever  the  students  of  that  time  meet  in  after 
years.  To  Mrs.  Delia  Shepard  and  her  family  my 
attachment  was  next  to  that  which  I  cherish  for  the 
members  of  my  own  home,  from  whom  school  life 
had  sundered  me. 

Oberlin  in  1855  was  but  twenty-two  years  old, 
but  it  was  more  mature  than  its  years  would  indi- 
cate. The  institution  really  came  to  its  maturity  in 
1835  when  a  large  body  of  theological  students  who 
had  seceded  from  Lane  Seminary  because  they  were 
not  permitted  to  discuss  the  slavery  question  either  in 
public  or  in  their  boarding  houses,  came  to  Oberlin, 
where  the  freedom  which  they  desired  was  granted  to 
them.  In  all  there  were  thirty-seven  of  these  stu- 
dents, most  of  whom  were  of  exceptional  ability. 
They  had  been  drawn  to  Lane  Seminary  in  Cincin- 
nati by  the  reputation  of  Lyman  Beecher,  Calvin 
Stowe,  and  other  of  the  best  representatives  of  New 
England  theologians  and  teachers.  At  this  time 
Henry  Ward  Beecher  was  a  student  there  and  Har- 
riet Beecher  Stowe  was  preparing  to  write  "  Uncle 
Tom's  Cabin."  When  the  trustees  passed  the  obnox- 
ious rule  which  barred  the  slavery  question  from  dis- 


48  Story  of  My  Life 

cussion,  Lyman  Beecher  was  absent  in  New  England, 
so  that  he  had  no  voice  in  the  matter.  On  his  re- 
turn it  was  too  late  to  remedy  the  error,  for  other 
influences  of  a  most  singular  order  had  ,come  in  to 
render  the  move  of  the  students  irrevocable. 

A  benevolent  friend  of  the  students  living  in 
Cumminsville,  near  by,  opened  a  vacant  building 
to  them ;  and  here  they  were  gathered,  for  some  time 
carrying  on  their  studies  by  themselves,  with  the  aid 
of  John  Morgan,  a  graduate  of  Williams  College, 
and  a  crony  and  lifelong  friend  of  Mark  Hopkins 
and  of  the  celebrated  Field  brothers.  Morgan  was 
a  scholar  of  the  finest  type,  sand  was  resolved  that 
come  what  might  he  would  cast  in  his  lot  with  the 
protesting  students.  Meanwhile,  Rev.  Asa  Mahan, 
a  Presbyterian  pastor  in  the.  city  and  one  of  the  trus- 
tees of  Lane  Seminary,  took  the  part  of  the  students, 
and  was  looking  around  for  some  way  to  help  them. 
He  was  already  negotiating  with  Arthur  Tappan. 
then  a  prosperous  merchant  in  New  York  City, 
and  an  ardent  abolitionist,  for  help  in  the  matter. 
Charles  G.  Finney  was  then  preaching  in  New  York 
City  and  was  at  the  height  of  his  influence  as  an 
evangelist. 

Tappan  was  one  of  his  ardent  supporters,  and  was 
on  the  point  of  sending, Finney  on  to  Cincinnati  for 
a  few  months  to  give  instruction  to  the  rebellious 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  49 

Lane  students  in  Cumminsville,  when  there  oc- 
curred one  of  those  mysterious  turning  points  in  his- 
tory in  which  the  greatest  events  often  hang  on  the 
slightest  of  circumstances. 

Oberlin  had  been  started  by  two  visionary  men  of 
remarkable  ability  each  in  his  way,  for  the  purpose 
of  promoting  general  education  of  a  collegiate  char- 
acter which  should  be  open  to  both  sexes,  and  which 
should  be  combined  with  manual  labor  sufficient  to 
furnish  self-support  to  the  students.  The  school  was 
opened  in  1833,  and  had  made  small  progress  in  1835. 
In  fact  the  promoters  were  at  their  wits'  end  to  find 
means  for  accomplishing  their  purposes.  At  this 
juncture  "  Father  Shipherd,"  as  he  was  called,  started 
in  the  late  autumn  for  New  York  City  to  try  to  col- 
lect funds.  The  National  Road  from  Philadelphia 
to  Alton  on  the  Mississippi  River  was  then  built, 
and  furnished  the  easiest  way  to  reach  the  Atlantic 
coast  from  all  the  central  west.  So  Mr.  Shipherd 
went  from  Oberlin  to  Columbus  to  take  advantage 
of  this  new  line  of  communication.  At  Columbus 
he  chanced  to  meet  Theodore  Keep,  a  son  of  one  of 
the  earliest  friends  of  Oberlin,  who  was  coming  from 
Cincinnati,  where  he  had  been  one  of  the  seceding 
students  from  Lane  Seminary.  Keep  told  Mr.  Ship- 
herd  of  the  situation  at  Lane,  and  urged  him  to  go 
down  to  Cincinnati  and  see  if  some  arrangement 


5O  Story  of  My  Life 

might  not  be  made  for  the  advantage  of  all* parties 
concerned.  Though  suffering  from  a  temporary  ill- 
ness, Shipherd  changed  his  original  plan,  and  rode 
the  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  with  the  mail  carrier 
in  an  open  wagon,  and  through  fathomless  mud,  to 
the  Queen  City  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  up  which 
river  he  might  later  find  his  way  to  the  National 
Road  again  at  Wheeling,  West  Virginia.  Mr.  Ma- 
han  at  once  fell  in  with  Shipherd's  proposition  that 
the  Lane  students  should  come  up  to  Oberlin  and 
form  a  theological  class  which  should  be  the  begin- 
ning of  a  theological  department.  And  Professor 
Morgan  agreed  to  go  with  them  if  suitable  arrange- 
ments could  be  made  for  their  accommodation. 

Immediately  Mr.  Shipherd  and  Mr.  Mahan  set 
out  on  an  expedition  to  find  suitable  teachers  and  to 
secure  adequate  funds  for  the  establishment  of  a  theo- 
logical department  at  Oberlin.  They  went  first  up 
the  Ohio  River  to  Ripley,  where  they  called  on  Rev. 
John  Rankin,  a  distinguished  abolitionist,  and  were 
taken  by  him  thirty  miles  across  the  country  to  Hills- 
boro,  to  see  the  brilliant  Theodore  Weld,  who  was 
then  lecturing  in  that  place.  To  him  they  made  the 
offer  of  the  chair  of  Systematic  Theology  at  Oberlin 
as  soon  as  funds  could  be  raised.  As  Weld  had  been 
one  of  the  Lane  Seminary  students,  'and  was  most 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  51 

highly  regarded  for  his  great  ability  as  a  lecturer, 
and  for  his  general  intelligence  and  nobility  of  char- 
acter, it  was  hoped  that  he  might  accept  the  position, 
and  be  of  service  in  raising  the  necessary  funds  for 
endowing  the  chair.  Weld,  however,  replied  at  once 
that  he  did  not  feel  himself  qualified  for  the  position, 
but  said  that  the  man  they  needed  was  Charles  G. 
Finney,  who  was  then  preaching  in  New  York  City, 
and  he  had  reason  to  believe  that  Finney  would  listen 
favorably  to  such  a  call.  It  should  be  said  that  Weld 
was  a  convert  of  Finney 's  during  the  revivals  which 
attended  his  preaching  a  few  years  before,  in  cen- 
tral New  York. 

In  accordance  with  this  advice,  Mahan  and  Ship- 
herd  went  on  at  once  to  New  York  and  had  a 
conference  with  Finney  and  his  chief  supporter, 
Arthur  Tappan.  But  they  were  met  with  the  con- 
dition that  their  proposition  would  not  be  considered 
unless  the  trustees  of  Oberlin  College  would  vote 
to  receive  colored  students  on  the  same  terms  as  those 
granted  to  whites.  This,  however,  the  Oberlin  trus- 
tees had  just  voted  not  to  do.  Whereupon  Shipherd 
wrote  them  a  most  urgent  letter,  assuring  them  that 
if  they  did  not  reverse  their  decision  they  could  not 
secure  the  help  needed,  and  that  he  should  feel  it  his 
duty  to  cease  his  relation  to  the  Oberlin  enterprise 
which  he  had  done  so  much  in  founding.  This 


52  Story  of  My  Life 

brought  the  trustees  to  terms  and  iby  the  casting  vote 
of  "  Father  Keep,"  the  chairman,  Oberlin  was  form- 
ally opened  to  colored  students.  While  there  were 
no  colored  students  clamoring  for  admittance,  they 
gradually  turned  to  Oberlin  in  small  numbers,  and 
have  continued  to  do  so  up  to  the  present  time,  but 
never  so  as  to  form  more  than  a  small  per  cent  of  the 
general  body.  The  mere  fact,  however,  of  their 
admittance  created  great  interest  in  the  institution 
among  the  anti-slavery  element  throughout  both  the 
United  States  and  Great  Britain,  and  drew  to  it 
both  students  of  a  high  character  and  the  much- 
needed  funds  for  carrying  on  the  school. 

As  a  result  of  this  tie  vote  by  the  Oberlin  trustees, 
Arthur  Tappan  and  his  friends  raised  a  fund  suf- 
ficient to  pay  eight  professors  a  salary  of  $600  each, 
and  gave  outright  enough  to  erect  two  buildings 
costing  $10,000  each.  So  at  once  Finney,  Mahan, 
and  Morgan  began  their  work  at  Oberlin  with  the 
Lane  "  rebels  "  as  'the  nucleus  of  classes  which  were 
reinforced  by  many  others  of  like  mind.  Other  teach- 
ers were  added  as  soon  as  they  could  be  found.  A  slab 
hall  was  built  for  the  temporary  accommodation  of 
the  students,  and  Oberlin  received  the  impulse  which 
has  not  ceased  to  give  it  momentum  to  the  present 
day.  In  consequence  of  giving  equal  educational  ad- 
vantages to  women  and  the  colored  race,  students 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  53 

were  attracted  to  Oberlin  from  far  and  near,  so  that 
the  college  has  been  one  of  the  most  cosmopolitan  in- 
stitutions in  the  world. 

When  in  1839  Livingstone  was  waiting  in  Lon- 
don to  set  out  on  his  missionary  career,  and  his  first 
quarter's  salary  was  sent  him,  he  forwarded  it  imme- 
diately to  his  brother  Charles  in  Scotland  and  told 
him  to  go  to  Oberlin  and  get  an  education.  This 
his  brother  did,  graduating  in  1845.  In  1885  Miss 
Barbara  I.  Buchanan  from  South  Africa  presented 
herself  to  enter  college,  and  on  being  asked  how  she 
was  influenced  to  come  to  Oberlin,  at  once  answered, 
"  I  am  not  a  missionary's  daughter,  but  the  daughter 
of  a  barrister  who  married  a  cousin  of  Florence 
Nightingale,  and  I  , asked  her  where  I  should  go 
for  an  education,  and  she  sent  me  here."  Miss 
Buchanan  is  now  Lecturer  in  the  Normal  College 
at  Johannesburg.  These  illustrations  bring  out  the 
fact  that  what  was  Oberlin's  extremity  during  the 
financial  crash  of  1837  really  became  her  opportunity. 
To  save  the  institution  from  collapse,  the  trustees! 
sent  two  agents  (Rev.  John  Keep  and  Mr.  William 
Dawes)  over  to  England  to  present  their  cause  to 
the  anti-slavery  people  there,  especially  to  those  of  the 
Quaker  order.  From  these  they  succeeded  in  raising 
enough  money  to  secure  the  continuance  of  the  school. 


54  Story  of  My  Life 

Among  the  contributors  were  the  members  of  the  Flor- 
ence Nightingale  family. 

At  the  time  of  my  entering  college,  Oberlin  was 
a  seething  pot  of  religious,'  social,  educational,  and 
political  reforms  whose  ebullitions  were  kept  in  check 
by  a  remarkable  body  of  able  and  level-headed  pro- 
fessors and  trustees.  Though  for  the  first  time  open- 
ing the  doors  of  a  college  to  women  on  equal  terms 
with  men,  the  authorities  kept  aloof  from  the  women's 
rights  movement  so  far  as  it  tended  to  break  down 
the  distinction  between  the  spheres  of  duties  ap- 
pointed by  nature  to  the  two  sexes.  Several  of  the 
leaders  of  the  women's  rights  movement,  however, 
came  to  Oberlin  for  an  education  and  were  warmly 
received,  and  welcomed  to  free  expression  of  their 
opinions.  Among  the  most  prominent  of  these  were 
Lucy  Stone  and  Antoinette  L.  Brown,  of  the  class 
of  1847.  Notwithstanding  their  strong  anti-slavery 
position  the  Oberlin  leaders  did  not  join  the  radical 
abolitionists,  who  stood  aloof  from  the  government; 
but  were  prominent  in  forming  the  Republican  party, 
and  were  faithful  to  its  principles  to  the  end.  Pres- 
ident Mahan  was  a  delegate  to  the  Buffalo  conven- 
tion which  nominated  Van  Buren  in  1848.  Though 
honoring  manual  labor  by  incorporating  it  in  their 
curriculum,  they  never  advocated  communism;  and 


College  Days  at  Oberlln  55 

when  the  manual-labor  provisions  became  impracti- 
cable they  were  quietly  dropped.  Religiously  they 
were  led  by  the  most  noted  evangelist  of  the  century, 
Charles  G.  Finney,  yet  he  remained  as  pastor  of  the 
First  Church  for  thirty-five  years  and  adjusted  him- 
self and  his  preaching  to  the  permanent  wants  of 
both  the  students  and  the  citizens. 

The  personnel  of  the  Oberlin  faculty  in  1855  was 
remarkable.  President  Asa  Mahan,  who  had  come 
to  Oberlin  with  the  Lane  rebels  at  the  outset,  had 
retired  from  the  presidency  a  short  time  before.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Finney,  who  continued  to  give  in- 
struction in  systematic  theology,  and  to  fill  the  church 
pulpit.  But  the  active  duties  of  the  presidency  were 
for  the  most  part  performed  by  other  members  of 
the  faculty.  Besides,  from  the  beginning  Finney  was 
habitually  absent  for  a  considerable  part  of  each  year 
conducting  revival  meetings  in  various  parts  of  this 
country  and  of  Great  Britain.  I  was*  never  in  any  of 
his  classes,  as  he  had  retired  from  teaching  before  I 
reached  my  theological  course.  But  his  preaching 
never  failed  to  pierce  my  heart  to  the  very  center, 
opening  up  its  secret  motives  and  moving  me  to  con- 
secrate my  all  to  the  work  of  helping  to  redeem  man- 
kind from  its  burdens  of  ignorance  and  sin. 

Finney  had  been  a  lawyer,  and  always  aimed  in 
his  preaching  to  convince  the  reason  so  that  his  ap- 


56  Story  of  My  Life 

peals  could  not  be  resisted  except  by  wilful  disobe- 
dience. Starting  from  the  axiomatic  assumption  that 
the  fundamental  obligation  of  a  rational  being  was 
to  "  choose  the  good  of  being,"  he  so  stated  specific 
obligations,  and  so  unveiled  the  deceitfulness  of  the 
sinful  activities  of  the  human  heart,  that  there  was  no 
escape  from  response  to  his  exhortations.  Besides,  he 
so  presented  the  limitations  under  which  God  had 
placed  himself  in  the  creation  of  the  human  race  with 
all  its  moral  powers,  including  the  freedom  of  the  will, 
that  the  doctrine  of  the  atonement  as  presented  in  the 
Bible  appeared  most  reasonable,  and  appealed  to  one's 
conscience  with  irresistible  power.  His  equal  as  a 
convincing  preacher  I  have  never  heard  since. 

Both  in  his  preaching  and  in  his  public  prayers 
Finney  was  so  straightforward  and  simple  that  all 
could  understand  him,  and  often  so  childlike  that  only 
his  marvelous  personality  saved  him  from  appearing 
ridiculous.  For  example,  on  one  occasion  he  preached 
on  the  same  day,  forenoon  and  afternoon,  two  ser- 
mons on  "  Signs  of  a  Seared  Conscience."  The  ser- 
mon in  the  morning  had  eighty-five  heads,  each  a 
sign,  and  the  sermon  in  the  afternoon  eighty-seven, 
as  reported  in  long  hand  by  Professor  Cowles  in  the 
Oberlin  Evangelist.  The  sign  on  which  he  dwelt 
longest  was  the  borrowing  of  tools  and  not  returning 
them.  In  the  sermon  as  reported  the  individual  ap- 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  57 

plications  were  omitted,  and  only  the  statements  pre- 
served, in  which  the  preacher  showed  how  mean  and 
wicked  it  is  to  borrow  an  axe  or  a  coat  and  neglect 
to  return  it  in  as  good  order  as  it  was  when  ob- 
tained. If  one  borrowed  money  he  was  expected  to 
return  the  principal  with  interest,  but  when  he  bor- 
rowed tools  he  often  would  not  return  them  at  all, 
or  when  he  did  they  were  in  a  damaged  condition. 
As  reported  the  sermon  made  it  seem  that  society 
could  not  hold  together  if  there  were  not  a  reform 
in  the  habits  of  the  people  with  reference  to  their 
responsibility  for  borrowed  tools. 

The  sermon  as  preached  was  adorned  with  many 
illustrations  which  were  omitted  in  the  Oberlin 
Evangelist.  As  reported  to  me  by  his  son  Norton, 
it  appeared  that  on  the  Saturday  previous  Finney 
had  engaged  several  workmen  to  prepare  his  garden 
for  planting,  but  when  they  came  on  the  ground  and 
were  ready  to  work,  he  found  that  his  various  farm- 
ing tools  were  not  in  their  accustomed  places.  With 
some  impatience  Finney  told  them  to  go  home  and 
come  again  Monday.  Whereupon  he  went  into  his 
study  to  finish  the  preparation  of  his  sermon  for  the 
next  day.  In  preaching  it  on  Sunday,  when  he  came 
to  the  sin  of  borrowing  tools  without  returning  them 
in  good  order,  the  point  Was  illustrated  by  his  ex- 
perience of  the  day  before.  "  Why,"  he  said,  "  when 


58  Story  of  My  Life 

I  went  to  my  tool  house  yesterday  with  the  men  on 
hand  to  do  my  work  I  found  it  practically  empty. 
President  Mahan  had  borrowed  my  plow  and  never 
sent  it  back,  Professor  Morgan  had  sent  for  my 
spade  and  I  do  not  know  where  it  is,  Deacon  Beecher 
has  had  my  monkey  wrench  for  so  long  a  time  that 
the  memory  of  man  cannot  recall  how  long  ago  it 
was.  What  does  it  mean  that  among  the  best  of  us 
there  is  such  carelessness  concerning  our  fundamental 
obligations?  " 

The  sequel  was  interesting  and  significant.  On 
Monday  morning  before  daylight  Finney's  watchdog 
was  making  a  great  commotion,  so  that  Finney  called 
his  son  Norton  to  dress  and  go  out  to  see  what  was 
the  matter.  This  he  did,  and  found  that  a  neighbor 
across  the  way  had  a  sawhorse  belonging  to  Finney. 
which  had  been  borrowed  for  some  time  and  not  re- 
turned. Thinking  to  get  it  back  without  detection 
he  had  come  into  the  yard  at  this  early  hour,  but  be- 
fore he  had  deposited  the  borrowed  object  in  its  proper 
place  the  dog  had  seized  him  and  prostrated  him  to 
the  ground,  where  Norton  found  him.  But  the  saw- 
horse  was  near  by  to  show  what  was  the  occasion  of 
this  early  irruption  into  the  premises.  From  that 
time  on  all  through  the  forenoon  borrowed  tools  kept 
coming  in,  from  every  side.  Some  of  them  were 
recognized  as  belonging  there,  but  many  of  them  had 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  59 

been  so  long  borrowed  that  the  holders  had  forgotten 
where  they  were  from  and  returned  them  here  on 
general  principles  to  relieve  their  consciences  of  the 
burden  which  rested  on  them. 

This  incident  is  but  one  of  many  which  illustrate 
the  adage  that  there  is  but  a  step  between  the  sublime 
and  the  ridiculous.  The  many  stories  that  are  told 
about  Finney's  eccentric  remarks  and  actions,  are 
grossly  misleading  without  one  takes  into  considera- 
tion the  personality  of  the  man.  So  great  was  he 
and  such  was  his  personality  that  nothing  seemed 
unnatural  in  the  introduction  into  his  sermon  of  the 
incidents  above  related.  Nobody  took  offense,  and 
no  one  who  was  present  thought  there  was  anything 
out  of  place  in  pointing  his  moral  as  the  preacher  did. 
The  only  evil  possible  to  result  arose  from  the  occa- 
sional attempts  of  small  men  to  imitate  him  in  such 
matters.  Such  attempts  invariably  resulted  in  ridic- 
ulous fiascoes. 

At  the  period  when  I  was  in  college  the  professors 
throughout  the  country  were  not  mere  specialists,  as 
is  generally  the  case  now,  but  broadly  educated  men, 
who  were  able  to  speak  with  intelligence  and  effect 
upon  almost  any  topic  of  public  concern ;  at  the  same 
time  their  knowledge  of  the  special  subjects  they  were 
to  teach  was  ample  for  the  instruction  of  the  raw  stu- 
dents who  sat  at  their  feet.  Specialization  could  come 


60  Story  of  My  Life 

later,  and  as  illustrated  in  any  number  of  cases  did 
come  later  and  with  the  best  results.  F.  C.  Hayden 
and  Major  J.  W.  Powell,  the  two  most  prominent 
pioneers  in  the  United  States  Geological  Survey; 
Elisha  Gray,  generally  recognized  by  electricians  as 
the  inventor  of  the  telephone,  and  various  other  most 
important  electrical  devices;  and  Charles  Hall,  the 
inventor  of  the  processes  now  exclusively  used  for  the 
cheap  production  of  aluminum,  all  were  the  product 
of  the  teaching  of  the  days  before  specialists  had  super- 
seded all-round  professors  in  college  chairs.  J.  Dol- 
son  Cox,  also,  became  one  of  the  most  efficient  generals 
in  the  Civil  War,  and  was  afterwards  Governor  of 
Ohio,  for  several  terms  a  member  of  Congress,  and 
finally  Secretary  of  the  Interior.  He  always  spoke  in 
praise  of  the  education  he  received  at  his  Alma  Mater. 

Of  the  teachers  at  Oberlin  during  my  years  of  study 
there,  I  would  make  special  mention  of  the  following, 
whose  influence  on  me  was  marked. 

James  H.  Fairchild  was  peculiarly  an  Oberlin 
product,  having  been  enrolled  as  a  student  in  the  first 
class  that  entered,  in  1833.  In  due  course  of  time  he 
taught  in  almost  every  department.  For  some  time 
he  was  teacher  of  Hebrew.  He  was  also  for  five 
years  tutor  in  Latin  and  Greek,  then  for  three  years 
Professor  of  Languages,  and  then  for  twelve  years 
(covering  my  college  course)  Professor  of  Mathematics 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  61 

and  Natural  Philosophy.  Later  in  my  course  he  was 
my  teacher  in  Moral  Philosophy  and  in  Theology. 
Like  all  his  pupils  I  felt  profoundly  the  influence  ol 
his  clear-cut  methods  of  instruction  in  everything 
which  he  undertook  to  teach.  He  taught  nothing 
that  he  was  not  fully  prepared  to  teach,  and  there  was 
not  a  superfluous  element  allowed  to  come  in  to  distract 
our  minds,  and  cloud  our  conception  of  the  subject 
taught.  In  Moral  Philosophy  especially  his  teaching 
was  clear  and  convincing.  With  President  Finney  he 
regarded  obligation  as  an  intuitive  perception  of  the 
mind,  and  maintained  that  the  whole  law  is  included 
in  the  statement  that  we  are  under  obligation  to 
"  choose  the  good  of  being,"  this  phrase  being  all-in- 
clusive. Every  being  that  is  capable  of  a  thrill  of 
happiness,  from  the  Creator  down  to  the  worm  that 
crawls  beneath  our  feet,  is  to  be  valued  in  the  calcula- 
tion according  to  his  worth.  But  in  deciding  what  is 
our  duty  in  specific  acts  of  our  wills  we  are  to  be 
guided  both  by  experience  and  the  testimony  of  others, 
the  revelation  of  the  Bible  being  foremost  in  giving  us 
light.  After  being  once  grounded  in  the  main  fea- 
tures of  this  system  of  ethics,  one  can  but  be  amazed 
at  the  cloudy  conception  of  the  subject  which  char- 
acterizes most  of  the  systems  of  ethics  that  are  now 
taught  in  our  schools  and  colleges. 

Professor  James  Monroe  had  been  as  a  young  man 


02  Story  of  My  Life 

in  Connecticut  a  devoted  and  successful  anti-slavery 
lecturer,  but  he  came  to  Oberlin  for  his  college  educa- 
tion. He  was  my  teacher  in  rhetoric  and  belles-let- 
tres. Into  this  department  he  brought  the  rich  results 
of  his  early  experience  in  presenting  truths  in  the  most 
convincing  manner  to  the  cultivated  audiences  he  had 
been  accustomed  to  face  in  New  England.  In  voice 
and  manner,  and  in  richness  of  thought,  he  could  not 
be  excelled.  Naturally  he  continued  to  be  interested 
in  the  anti-slavery  cause,  and  as  the  war  approached 
he  was  elected  to  the  State  legislature,  and  became  one 
of  the  most  influential  members  in  shaping  the  course 
of  the  State  in  those  troublous  times. 

President  Finney,  however,  was  much  exercised  in 
his  mind  over  Professor  Monroe's  entering  the  polit- 
ical arena,  and  at  one  time  preached  a  most  powerful 
sermon  to  try  to  dissuade  him  from  running  as  can- 
didate for  the  State  Senate.  The  scene  was  one  of 
the  most  memorable  of  my  experiences  in  Oberlin. 
Professor  Monroe  sat  in  a  conspicuous  place  in  the 
church,  and  listened  with  rapt  attention  as  the  elo- 
quent preacher  endeavored  to  prove  that  a  man  of 
high  moral  principles  who  had  entered  the  arena  of 
moral  reform  could  not  run  for  office  without  lowering 
his  standard  and  compromising  his  character.  Such 
a  man  cannot  get  the  votes  of  the  people  except  he 
come  down  to  their  level.  Professor  Monroe,  he  con- 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  63 

tended,  is  too  good  a  man  to  do  this.  He  can't  afford 
to  do  it.  He  should  remain  on  the  high  pedestal  of 
moral  principle  where  he  now  is  and  strive  to  draw 
all  men  up  to  it.  If  he  gets  down  to  the  level  to 
which  he  will  have  to  fall  if  he  gets  the  votes  of  the 
people,  he  never  will  rise  again  to  his  original  high 
standard.  "  Professor  Monroe,"  said  the  preacher, 
"  is  too  good  a  man  to  run  for  the  legislature  of 
Ohio." 

Just  then  Professor  Peck,  who  sat  near,  rose  in  his 
place  and  lifted  his  hand  in  token  that  he  wished  to 
speak.  President  Finney  turned  his  great  eyes  toward 
him,  and  perceiving  what  was  wanted,  said,  "  Speak 
on,  Brother  Peck,"  and  sat  down  while  Professor  Peck 
finished  the  sermon  in  trying  to  show  that  we  were 
not  going  to  lose  Professor  Monroe  from  the  ranks 
of  high  moral  reform,  but  were  going  to  have  him  in 
both  capacities  as  reformer  and  legislator.  When 
Professor  Peck  finished  his  well-chosen  remarks,  Fin- 
ney, with  tears  in  his  eyes,  prayed  that  we  might  all 
be  led  aright,  and  dismissed  the  meeting. 

Professor  Peck's  previsions  were  correct.  Monroe 
was  elected,  and  never  betrayed  his  trust.  Indeed 
some  have  surmised  that  Finney,  in  his  sermon,  was 
trying  to  secure  Monroe's  election  by  showing  that  he 
was  so  good  a  man  that  his  constituency  would  honor 
themselves  by  voting  for  him,  thus  showing  that  their 


64  Story  of  My  Life 

level  was  higher  than  was  generally  supposed.  Later 
Monroe  was  sent  for  many  years  as  consul  to  Rio  de 
Janeiro,  being  there  all  through  the  Civil  War  and 
for  some  time  after.  On  his  return  he  was  elected 
and  re-elected  to  the  National  House  of  Representa- 
tives for  five  successive  terms  (from  1870  to  1880). 
Very  appropriately  he  spent  his  last  years  in  Oberlin 
as  Professor  of  Political  Science  and  Modern  History. 
Professor  Henry  E.  Peck  was  not  so  purely  an 
Oberlin  product.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Bowdoin 
College  and  of  Oberlin  Theological  Seminary.  Dur- 
ing my  college  course  he  was  Professor  of  Mental  and 
Moral  Philosophy,  and  in  the  Seminary,  of  Sacred 
Rhetoric.  His  was  one  of  the  most  facile  and  sug- 
gestive minds  that  I  ever  came  in  contact  with.  He 
too  was  prominent  in  promoting  moral  reforms,  es- 
pecially the  anti-slavery  cause,  and  in  stimulating  the 
patriotism  of  the  country  during  the  Civil  War.  He 
was  one  of  the  most  effective  political  speakers  I  ever 
heard.  For  supposed  connection  with  the  actors  in 
the  Oberlin-Wellington  Rescue  Case,  he  was  arrested 
and  held  in  jail  at  Cleveland  with  twenty-seven  others 
while  some  of  their  number  were  tried  for  violation 
of  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law.  In  recognition  of  his  in- 
terest in  the  Negroes,  Professor  Peck  was  appointed 
by  Lincoln  the  first  Minister  Plenipotentiary  to  Hayti, 
where  he  died  in  1867. 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  65 

Doctor  James  Dascomb  came  to  Oberlin  on  the 
opening  of  the  school,  and  was  the  Professor  of  Chem- 
istry, Botany,  and  Physiology  for  forty-four  years. 
He  was  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth  College,  and  of  the 
medical  department  of  that  institution,  then  one  of  the 
most  flourishing  in  the  country.  His  teaching  was  not 
after  the  minute  laboratory  methods  of  the  present 
time.  The  experiments  were  all  made  by  the  teacher 
in  presence  of  the  pupils,  and  the  explanations  were 
sufficiently  lucid  to,  fix  the  facts  in  our  minds.  If  we 
wished  to  specialize,  as  comparatively  few  did,  the 
teaching  we  had  under  him  was  a  good  foundation 
from  which  to  start.  But  as  taught  at  the  present 
time  the  pupil  is  so  held  down  to  minutiae  that  often 
he  gets  no  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the  subject, 
unless  he  goes  on  to  be  a  specialist. 

But  Professor  Dascomb's  teaching  was  adequate  for 
the  purposes  of  a  general  education.  He  taught  us  to 
be  accurate  in  all  our  statements  and  investigations, 
and  to  avoid  all  superfluity  of  words.  If  he  asked  us 
to  define  specific  gravity,  and  we  began,  "  It  is  where," 
we  were  held  up  at  once  and  told  that  specific  gravity 
was  not  "  where."  If  then  we  began,  "  Specific  grav- 
ity is  when,"  we  were  told  that  specific  gravity  was 
"  neither  where  nor  when.  Please  tell  us  what  it  is." 
Though  one  of  the  most  consistent  and  really  devout 
members  of  the  church,  Doctor  Dascomb  made  it  a 


66  Story  of  My  Life 

condition  of  his  accepting  the  professorship  that  he 
should  not  be  called  on  to  conduct  Chapel  exercises. 
His  investigations  were  so  accurate  and  thorough  that 
when  his  conclusions  were  drawn  he  adhered  to  them 
with  great  tenacity.  Among  these  was  that  lightning 
rods  were  a  perfect  protection  to  a  building  if  properly 
put  up,  which  of  course  we  supposed  his  were.  But 
the  lightning  struck  his  house  more  than  once,  I  be- 
lieve. Whereupon  the  Doctor  simply  remarked  that 
he  did  not  care  so  much  for  the  house,  but  he  did  hate 
to  have  his  theory  proved  untrue. 

George  N.  Allen  was  Professor  both  of  Sacred 
Music,  and  of  Geology  and  Natural  History.  His 
musical  taste  was  exquisite,  and  his  love  of  natural 
history  ardent.  He  did  much  to  direct  and  develop 
the  great  attention  to  music  that  has  characterized  the 
whole  life  at  Oberlin,  though  "it  should  be  said  that 
both  President  Finney  and  Professor  Morgan  were 
very  fond  of  music  and  no  mean  critics  of  it.  Pro- 
fessor Allen  was  a  good  violinist.  But  when  an  organ 
was  installed  in  the  First  Church,  about  the  time 
when  I  made  my  first  appearance  in  Oberlin,  he  found 
it  difficult  to  get  complete  mastery  of  the  pedals.  He 
was  compelled,  however,  to  do  the  best  he  could  until 
younger  men  were  trained.  It  was  not  long  till 
George  Steele,  Smith  Penfield,  and  John  Morgan  be- 
came adepts  at  the  organ,  and  electrified  the  audiences 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  67 

with  their  daring  use  of  all  the  pedals.  After  some 
meeting  in  which  Professor  Allen  had  been  compelled 
to  play  on  the  organ,  and,  naturally,  had  made  blun- 
ders in  his  use  of  the  pedals,  a  member  of  my  class 
commented  adversely  on  it  in  the  presence  of  Profes- 
sor Morgan.  This  aroused  the  Professor's  wrath  at 
such  superficial  criticism,  and  he  said  with  much  em- 
phasis, "  I  don't  care  if  Professor  Allen  does  not 
always  get  his  toe  on  the  right  pedal.  When  he  does, 
he  gets  better  music  out  of  it  than  either  of  those 
young  men  does."  Mrs.  Allen  was  one  of  the  first 
ladies  to  receive  the  degree  of  A.B.  in  course,  and  she 
kept  up  her  knowledge  of  Greek  sufficiently  to  read  a 
Greek  paper,  which  her  son,  Frederick  D.  Allen,  who 
graduated  at  Oberlin,  but  became  Professor  of  Greek 
in  Harvard  University,  sent  her  regularly,  while  head 
of  the  American  School  in  Athens. 

Professor  John  Morgan  was  born  in  Cork,  Ireland, 
but  was  brought  to  America  in  his  infancy.  He  was  a 
graduate  of  Williams  College.  His  facility  for  learn- 
ing languages  was  phenomenal,  and  his  memory  re- 
markable. During  my  college  and  theological  courses 
he  was  Professor  of  Old  Testament  Literature,  and 
was  successful  in  inspiring  his  pupils  to  a  high  degree. 
At  that  time  Hebrew  was  more  in  favor  with  theolog- 
ical students  than  it  seems  to  be  in  these  days  when 
it  is  made  "  elective  "  in  many  of  the  seminaries.  Our 


68  Story  of  My  Life 

class  all  elected  Hebrew  in  the  senior  college  year,  and 
were  drilled  in  the  elements  of  that  language  by  Pro- 
fessor Penfield,  whom  Professor  Morgan  character- 
ized as  "  a  remarkable  paradigm."  Certainly  we 
were  thoroughly  drilled  in  the  rudiments  of  that 
Oriental  tongue.  Professor  Morgan  also  lectured  to 
his  classes  on  the  New  Testament,  with  which  he  was 
equally  familiar.  President  Finney  used  regularly  to 
call  on  him  to  offer  prayer  for  him  in  the  church  serv- 
ices, and  sometimes  to  preach  in  his  stead.  His  ser- 
mons were  always  full  of  thought,  but  rather  lacking 
in  the  eloquence  which  always  characterized  Finney's 
logical  discourses. 

This  was  brought  out  in  one  of  Finney's  prayers 
before  the  sermon  when  Morgan  was  to  preach. 
Among  other  things  Finney  asked  the  Lord  to  "  help 
Brother  Morgan  to  speak  so  simply  that  we  can  all 
understand  him,  and  not  have  to  stand  on  tiptoe  to 
see  what  he  means."  Finney  and  Morgan  wrere  the 
closest  of  friends,  and  supplemented  each  other  so 
completely  that  there  was  no  jealousy  between  them, 
and  together  they  made  a  team  that  it  would  be  hard 
to  duplicate. 

Professor  Morgan,  like  Finney,  was  very  fond  of 
music,  and  they  two  had  much  to  do  in  encouraging 
that  musical  culture  in  Oberlin  that  led  to  the  forma- 
tion of  the  Oberlin  Conservatory  of  Music,  Professor 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  69 

Morgan's  son,  John,  being  in  fact,  with  George  W. 
Steele,  the  principal  founder  of  it,  having  before  this 
attained  such  proficiency  in  his  art  that  he  was  in- 
stalled as  organist  in  Trinity  Church,  New  York 
City. 

Nor  should  I  fail  to  mention  the  name  of  Professor 
Henry  Cowles,  who  was  a  graduate  of  Yale  College, 
and  came  to  Oberlin  early  in  its  history  and  filled  for 
many  years  the  chair  of  Old  Testament  Literature. 
During  the  latter  part  of  his  long  life  in  Oberlin  he 
devoted  himself  to  editing  the  Oberlin  Evangelist,  a 
biweekly  paper  devoted  to  spreading  abroad  the  re- 
ligious views  advocated  in  the  institution;  and  to  pre- 
paring a  series  of  Commentaries  on  the  Old  Testament, 
which  added  much  to  the  reputation  of  the  Oberlin 
faculty,  and  served  an  important  purpose  in  promoting 
rational  as  well  as  orthodox  views  relative  to  the  Old 
Testament.  Especially  was  this  true  as  related  to 
views  concerning  the  second  coming  of  Christ.  In  the 
early  history  of  Oberlin,  Millerism  had  a  great  vogue 
throughout  the  country,  both  east  and  west.  As  al- 
ready remarked,  1843  was  set  as  the  year  in  which 
Christ  was  to  come,  according  to  prophecy,  and 
destroy  existing  kingdoms,  and  set  up  his  millennial 
reign.  Naturally  the  earnest  advocates  of  this  inter- 
pretation of  prophecy  came  to  Oberlin  for  a  hearing. 
According  to  the  custom  of  the  place,  this  was  granted, 


JO  Story  of  My  Life 

but  on  condition  that  there  should  be  a  public  discus- 
sion. Professor  Cowles  entered  the  lists  against  Rev. 
Mr.  Fitch,  a  most  exemplary,  sincere,  and  able  advo- 
cate of  the  startling  doctrines  of  Millerism.  In  the 
strong  atmosphere  of  religious  zeal  which  character- 
ized the  town  everything  was  ready  to  sweep  the 
community  into  the  vortex  of  this  powerful  delusion. 
But  it  was  met  successfully  by  the  calm  reasoning  of 
Professor  Cowles  in  his  sound  contention  that  "  day  " 
did  not  always  stand  in  prophecy  for  "  year,"  and  so 
there  was  a  fallacy  in  the  reasoning  of  the  Millerites. 
Thus  Oberlin  was  saved  from  what  at  one  time  ap- 
peared to  be  a  very  threatening  delusion.  This  dis- 
cussion by  Professor  Cowles  prepared  him  for  the 
success  which  he  attained  in  the  sane  and  effective 
interpretation  of  prophecy,  set  forth  in  his  Commenta- 
ries on  the  Old  Testament.  His  dignified  and  scholarly 
presence  was  a  most  valuable  asset  among  the  influ- 
ences at  work  in  Oberlin  during  my  student  days. 

Professor  Timothy  B.  Hudson  was  another  marked 
character  in  the  Oberlin  faculty.  He  had  come  from 
Hudson  College  to  Oberlin  at  the  time  of  the  Lane 
Seminary  exodus,  and  for  reasons  similar  to  those 
which  actuated  that  movement.  He  finally  became 
Professor  of  Greek,  of  which  language  he  was  an 
ardent  student  and  a  devoted  lover.  He  was  a  man. 
also,  of  wide  interests,  being  through  much  of  his 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  71 

time  an  associate  editor  of  an  agricultural  paper  pub- 
lished in  Cleveland.  From  his  fluency  of  speech  he 
was  known  as  "  the  silver-tongued  orator."  In  the 
midst  of  our  course,  however,  he  was  killed  on  the 
railroad  near  Berea,  where  his  body  was  found,  hor- 
ribly mangled  by  the  train  that  ran  over  him.  The 
circumstances  attending  his  death  were  never  known. 
Naturally  the  event  made  a  powerful  impression 
upon  our  class,  as  well  as  upon  the  community  in  gen- 
eral. How  much  this  terrible  event  had  to  do  in 
molding  my  own  character,  it  is  impossible  to  tell  ; 
but  it  was  the  more  impressive  because  the  victim 
generally  exercised  extreme  caution  in  guarding  against 
accidents  and  exhorted  every  one  else  to  do  so. 

Professors  Charles  H.  Churchill  and  John  M.  Ellis 
became  members  of  the  faculty  so  near  the  close  of  my 
college  course  that  their  influence  upon  me  was  not  so 
great  as  that  of  the  others,  but  it  was  by  no  means  in- 
considerable. Professor  Churchill's  varied  accomplish- 
ments enabled  him  to  touch  my  life  in  many  respects. 
In  addition  to  his  scientific  attainments  he  was  an  ac- 
complished musician,  and  frequently  led  the  great 
choir,  of  which  I  was  a  member,  in  preparation  for  the 
annual  concerts.  The  dignified  bearing  of  Professor 
Ellis,  coupled  with  his  kindly  interest  in  the  students 
and  his  wise  management  as  an  assistant  to  President 


72  Story  of  My  Life 

Fairchild  in  the  general  affairs  of  the  college,  fore- 
shadowed his  long  career  as  college  professor,  which 
made  it  natural  that  he  should  be  looked  upon  by  the 
mass  of  the  alumni,  by  a  large  part  of  the  faculty,  and 
by  President  Fairchild  as  the  logical  successor  of  the 
latter  to  the  presidency.  But  it  was  ordered  other- 
wise, and  probably  it  was  well  that  it  was  so,  since 
he  died  very  suddenly  soon  after  President  Fairchild's 
resignation. 

The  opening  of  the  doors  of  the  college  to  Negro 
students  brought  to  Oberlin  a  select  number  of  that 
race  whose  presence  added  much  to  the  educational 
interests  of  the  place.  Among  these  there  was  one 
John  M.  Langston,  a  mulatto  of  rare  gifts  and  elo- 
quence, who  used  to  thrill  us  on  public  occasions  as 
no  one  else  could.  Later  he  became  prominent  in 
public  affairs,  and  was  for  some  years  a  member  of 
Congress. 

On  the  whole  I  have  no  fault  to  find  with  the  col- 
lege course  of  study  which  was  prescribed  in  the  middle 
of  the  nineteenth  century.  Ours  was  the  same  as  that 
of  all  the  higher  class  of  colleges  in  America  which 
gave  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  Latin,  Greek, 
and  mathematics  formed  the  staple,  including,  of 
course,  the  lessons  of  philosophy  and  politics  and  his- 
tory connected  with  the  study  of  the  classics.  But  due 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  73 

attention  was  also  paid  to  political  economy,  mental 
and  moral  philosophy,  and  a  fair  proportion  of  time 
was  given  to  botany,  physiology,  chemistry,  and  belles- 
lettres.  And  as  already  remarked,  I  elected  Hebrew 
during  the  whole  of  the  senior  year,  taking  this  in 
place  of  more  mathematics  and  Greek.  But  I  have 
been  handicapped  all  my  life  for  the  lack  of  three 
things  which  are  generally  provided  in  the  curricula 
of  the  present  time,  namely,  conversational  French  and 
German,  and  drawing.  Photography,  however,  has 
well  supplied  the  lack  of  the  latter,  while  it  has  been 
possible  to  pick  up  a  reading  knowledge  of  modern 
languages.  Indeed,  during  the  first  ten  years  of  my 
country  pastorate  I  wrote  out  translations  of  Kant's 
"  Critique  of  Pure  Reason,"  and  of  the  Bremen  Lec- 
tures, exchanging  translations  with  my  brother,  who 
also  pursued  this  course  to  enlarge  the  horizon  of  -his 
mental  vision.  I  also  wrote  out  a  translation  from 
the  Greek  of  several  of  the  works  of  Plato.  But  as  I 
had  no  instruction  in  prose  composition  in  Latin  and 
Greek,  and  no  practice  in  conversation  in  those  lan- 
guages, when  traveling  in  Siberia  many  years  after- 
wards this  lack  was  painfully  borne  home  upon  me, 
in  efforts  to  converse  with  various  persons  whom  I 
met,  even  in  out-of-the-way  places.  At  Minusinsk, 
three  hundred  miles  from  the  railroad,  the  anthro- 
pologist in  the  celebrated  museum  there,  wished  to 


74  Story  of  My  Life 

converse  in  Latin,  since  I  made  such  poor  work  in 
modern  languages.  I  had  the  same  experience,  also, 
with  the  high-school  superintendent  at  Semipalatinslc, 
four  hundred  miles  from  the  railroad. 

But  from  long  experience  and  observation  I  am 
convinced,  that  my  college  course,  by  its  concentration 
on  fewer  things,  did  as  much  for  me  as  the  wider  and 
more  superficial  courses  of  study  of  the  present  time 
would  have  done.  The  specializations  which  have 
come  in  my  later  life,  have  been  all  the  more  fruitful 
for  the  thorough  groundwork  laid  in  the  prescribed 
course  of  my  college  days. 

I  can  truly  say  that  I  made  the  best  of  my  time 
while  in  college.  There  were  no  exaggerated  athletics 
to  unduly  absorb  my  attention.  Oberlin  did  not  al- 
low secret  societies,  to  induce  undue  waste  in  social 
festivities.  Instead,  we  had  open  literary  societies, 
which  gave  all  the  advantages  for  practice  in  debate 
and  parliamentary  law  that  were  profitable.  For  ex- 
ercise I  did  a  fair  amount  of  manual  labor  in  sawing 
wood  and  making  garden  at  eight  cents  an  hour,  earn- 
ing in  that  way  thirty  dollars  a  year.  For  the  most 
of  the  time  I  boarded  in  cultivated  families,  where  1 
mingled  with  society  in  its  normal  condition.  The 
fact  that  the  men  and  the  women  were  about  equally 
represented  in  the  class  made  very  wholesome  social 
conditions. 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  75 

Antioch  College  at  Yellow  Springs  had  been 
founded  as  a  co-educational  institution  a  short  time 
before  I  came  to  Oberlin,  with  Horace  Mann  as  presi- 
dent. An  English  traveler  who  visited  it,  not  know- 
ing that  co-education  of  the  sexes  had  been  established 
at  Oberlin  for  twenty  years  before  Antioch  College 
was  founded,  was  so  impressed  by  the  good  manners 
of  the  young  men  at  Antioch,  that  he  wrote  that 
"  changing  the  Biblical  passage  but  slightly,  one  might 
now  say  that  '  At  Antioch,  college  students  were  first 
called  gentlemen'";  which  he  attributed  to  the  influ- 
ence of  the  young  women  in  the  classes.  At  Oberlin 
in  that  day  we  certainly  had  a  class  of  women  whose 
influence  was  most  wholesome  on  the  whole  body  of 
students.  As  I  was  the  youngest  member  of  the  class, 
and  bashful  at  that,  I  was  not  unduly  influenced  by 
the  temptations  to  waste  my  time  in  the  social  en- 
gagements which  are  thought  by  many  to  be  incident 
to  the  plan  of  co-education.  Indeed,  the  whole  life 
of  the  class  was  so  much  like  that  to  which  I  had  been 
accustomed  in  my  home,  and  amid  the  large  circle  of 
cousins  of  which  I  have  spoken,  that  there  seemed 
nothing  abnormal  in  the  situation.  The  friendships 
formed  with  the  ladies  of  the  class  were  like  that  I 
felt  for  my  sister,  and  have  continued  such  through 
all  the  years  which  have  elapsed  since  those  halcyon 
school  days.  A  noble  lot  of  women  they  were  and  a 


76  Story  of  My  Life 

noble  work  they  have  done  in  the  world.  In  large 
numbers  their  children  and  grandchildren  have  come 
back  to  their  Alma  Mater  for  education,  bringing  with 
them  the  high  moral  standards  of  their  parents. 

Up  to  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century,  the 
college  terms  in  most  American  colleges  were  so  ar- 
ranged that  the  students  could  teach  school  during 
the  winter,  and  not  lose  their  standing.  Indeed,  col- 
lege commencements  were  then  generally  at  the  end  of 
summer  rather  than  at  the  beginning,  as  now.  In 
most  country  districts  they  were  content  with  a  three 
months'  term  of  school  in  the  summer,  and  a  cor- 
responding term  in  the  winter.  The  summer  term 
was  generally  taught  by  a  woman,  and  the  winter 
term  by  a  man,  that  being  the  time  when  the  older 
scholars  were  free  to  attend.  This  arrangement  gave 
a  grand  opportunity  for  the  college  men  to  earn  some- 
thing for  their  self-support,  and  at  the  same  time 
furnished  the  colleges  with  a  most  effective  advertising 
agency.  At  any  rate  this  was  so  at  Oberlin.  At  the 
close  of  the  fall  term  five  or  six  hundred  students  went 
out  far  and  wide  to  obtain  schools  for  the  winter  as 
they  could.  We  might  not  know  much  about  peda- 
gogics but  we  were  full  of  information  and  of  zeal 
and  good  fellowship. 

It  was  usual  then  for  the  teacher  to  board  around, 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  77 

so  that  he  formed  a  rather  intimate; acquaintance  with 
all  the  families,  as  well  as  with  the  children.  The 
advent  of  the  young  college  student  was  an  event  of 
great  interest  to  all.  It  was  the  signal  for  the  start- 
ing of  a  debating  society,  a  singing  school,  a  writing 
school,  and  perhaps  a  reading  school  for  the  older  per- 
sons in  the  neighborhood.  It  was  a  rare  thing  if  one 
or  two  pupils  were  not  moved  to  follow  the  teacher 
back  to  the  preparatory  school  that  was  then  con- 
nected with  the  college.  The  influence  thus  exerted 
it  is  hard  to  overestimate.  By  this  means  the  college 
was  kept  full  of  the  most  promising  young  men  and 
women  that  the  country  contained.  And  the  field 
from  which  they  were  drawn  was  a  wide  one.  Not 
only  did  the  teachers  go  into  all  parts  of  Ohio,  but 
they  swarmed  over  Michigan,  Indiana,  western  Penn- 
sylvania, and  western  New  York,  and  many  went  as 
far  as  Illinois  and  Wisconsin.  General  Cox  always 
maintained  that  it  was  the  influence  of  these  teachers 
for  a  generation,  which,  more  than  any  other,  saved 
the  Middle  West  to  the  Union,  for  they  went  every- 
where preaching  the  anti-slavery  doctrines  which  gave 
victory  to  the  Republican  party  and  secured  the  elec- 
tion of  Lincoln  in  1860. 

For  the  four  successive  years  of  my  college  course 
I  was  one  of  this  great  host  that  went  out  winter  after 
winter  to  teach  in  the  country  schools  of  Ohio  and 


78  Story  of  My  Life 

vicinity.  When  regarded  from  the  outside,  many  of 
the  experiences  through  which  I  passed  were  such  as 
try  men's,  or  rather  "  boys'  souls,"  for  I  was  not  yet 
eighteen  years  old.  But  as  there  were  the  courage  and 
strength  of  will  of  youth  to  meet  them,  hope  always 
prevailed  over  discouragement,  and  brought  me 
through  with  enlarged  vision,  and  increased  confidence 
both  in  myself  and  in  the  Providence  which  cares  for 
us  in  our  weakness  and  ignorance. 

My  first  winter  school  while  in  college  was  obtained 
for  me  by  a  Negro  classmate  who  had  procured  one 
for  himself  near  by.  This  was  done  through  a  school 
director  who  was  noted  for  his  anti-slavery  views, 
though  the  rest  of  the  district  for  the  most  part  cher- 
ished different  opinions.  But  in  the  innocence  of  my 
heart  I  went  to  my  field  in  the  central  part  of  the 
State,  in  the  southwestern  part  of  Delaware  County, 
and  began  my  work.  All  went  well  for  three  weeks, 
when  I  paid  a  visit  to  my  colored  friend's  school  and 
staid  with  him  at  his  very  respectable  boarding  place 
with  a  colored  family.  On  a  following  day  he  vis- 
ited my  school,  and  as  I  had  spoken  to  his  scholars,  he 
was  invited  to  speak  to  mine.  I  had  no  thought  that 
there  was  anything  wrong  in  this,  especially  as  Mr. 
Greene  was  a  fine-appearing,  cultivated  man  in  my 
own  college  class.  But  the  fountains  of  the  great  deep 
were  broken  up,  and  my  school  was  bedlam  the  next 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  79 

Monday,  and  my  anti-slavery  patron  told  me  that  it 
was  no  use  to  try  to  go  on.     So  I  quit. 

They  honorably  paid  me  the  portion  of  my  wages 
that  was  due,  and  I  set  out  to  find  another  school. 
But  I  was  a  thousand  miles  from  home,  and  not  much 
used  to  the  ways  of  the  world.  A  college  mate  (the 
late  Rev.  James  H.  Laird),  however,  with  whom  I 
was  well  acquainted,  was  teaching  a  few  miles  away, 
and  I  immediately  reported  to  him.  He  received  me 
with  a  warm  welcome,  and  had  an  encouraging  word. 
He  knew  of  a  school  near  by,  at  Hilliards,  ten  miles 
west  of  Columbus,  where  they  had  been  disappointed 
in  getting  a  teacher,  and  took  me  over  there  as  soon 
xas  possible.  The  way  was  open,  and  they  engaged  me 
on  Mr.  Laird's  recommendation,  notwithstanding  my 
youth  and  my  unfortunate  experience.  The  school 
was  to  begin  the  next  Monday,  and  I  was  to  have  the 
same  wages  as  at  the  former  place. 

My  schoolhouse  was  of  logs,  but  it  was  comfortable. 
Most  of  the  houses  where  I  was  to  board  were  also 
of  logs,  but  they  were  filled  with  intelligent  families 
and  well-behaved  children.  I  made  my  home  with 
the  head  director,  who  kept  the  post  office  in  a  small 
store,  and  who  was  also  an  accredited  Disciple 
preacher.  With  his  family  I  spent  the  Sundays,  and 
a  more  hospitable  roof  I  was  never  under.  The  house 
was  of  logs,  and  the  kitchen  was  separated  from  the 


8o  Story  of  My  Life 

living  rooms  by  an  open  space  which  ran  through  the 
middle  of  the  house  from  front  to  rear.  Sometimes 
the  water  would  freeze  in  the  pail  that  sat  by  us  as 
we  ate  our  well-cooked  meals,  but  we  suffered  no 
harm.  The  friendship  formed  with  this  family  has 
continued  to  the  present  day.  The  oldest  son  followed 
me  to  Oberlin,  as  have  his  children  and  grandchildren 
to  the  third  generation.  One  of  these  (Mr.  Fletcher 
Dobyns)  is  now  a  lawyer  of  nation-wide  eminence  in 
Chicago,  and  several  others,  both  men  and  women,  are 
prominent  in  various  spheres  of  influence. 

Here  it  will  be  best  to  anticipate  a  little  and  tell 
of  an  incident  that  drew  me  very  close  in  my  feeling 
and  regard  for  the  mother  of  the  family  especially. 
Two  years  later  I  came  down  to  the  neighborhood  to 
teach,  thinking  that  I  had  a  school  engaged.  But  on 
reaching  the  place  on  Saturday  afternoon  I  found  that 
there  had  been  a  misunderstanding,  and  that  the  di- 
rectors disagreed  with  one  another  so  that  I  could  not 
have  the  school,  and  must  set  out  in  quest  of  one, 
without  any  clue  as  to  the  best  direction.  In  my 
distress  I  made  my  way  over  to  Mr.  Dobyns',  ten  miles 
away,  and  spent  Monday  night  with  this  hospitable 
family.  They  thought  of  all  the  vacant  schools  they 
had  heard  of  and  laid  out  a  route  for  me  to  follow 
on  the  next  day.  I  was  to  walk  nine  miles  east,  and 


College  Days  at  Oberltn  8 1 

if  that  failed  was  to  take  another  direction,  and  if 
that  failed  was  to  take  the  cars  and  look  up  a  classmate 
who  was  teaching  twenty  miles  south,  and  so  on.  En- 
couraged by  their  hospitality  and  good  cheer  I  started 
out  immediately  after  breakfast.  But  Mrs.  Dobyns 
followed  me,  and  having  closed  the  door,  said,  "  Here, 
take  these,  you  may  need  them  before  you  find  a 
school,"  meanwhile  slipping  three  silver  dollars  into 
my  hand.  She  was  right.  I  did  need  them,  and  have 
blessed  God  and  her  memory  from  that  day  to  this  for 
her  motherly  love  and  thoughtfulness.  Presently  i 
will  tell  of  my  tramping  all  through  that  week  and 
finding  a  school  fifty  miles  away  on  Saturday  after- 
noon. 

My  second  school  was  obtained  for  me  by  one  of 
my  pupils  of  the  winter  before,  and  not  far  away. 
One  thing  that  recommended  me  was  that  the  principal 
school  director  was  anxious  to  have  a  teacher  who 
could  take  his  children  along  in  algebra,  for  which 
they  were  fitted.  This  winter  was  most  delightfully 
spent  at  a  higher  salary  than  I  had  had  before,  my 
home  being  in  a  cultivated  family  of  Scotch  Presby- 
terians who  sang  the  Psalms  of  the  old  Scotch  version. 
They  were  all  good  singers  and  had  a  cottage  organ, 
which  they  used  much  on  week  days  but  would  not 
open  on  the  Sabbath.  Like  the  annals  of  a  peaceful 
age  the  story  of  this  winter's  experiences  is  short,  and 


82  Story  of  My  Life 

lacking  in  interest.  But  the  remembrances  of  it  are 
among  the  brightest  in  my  possession.  My  host,  Mr. 
Robinson,  was  a  warm  anti-slavery  man,  and  called 
my  attention  to  the  remarkable  speeches  on  the  slavery 
question  which  my  Professor,  Monroe,  was  making 
in  the  State  legislature.  So,  one  Saturday  I  went  to 
Columbus  and  had  the  privilege  of  sitting  in  the  sen- 
ate chamber  with  my  beloved  professor,  in  company 
with  General  Cox  and  President  Garfield,  who  were 
then  the  trio  that  was  swinging  Ohio  into  line  for 
the  great  contest  that  was  impending. 

The  third  winter  was  the  one  already  referred  to 
in  which  Mrs.  Dobyns  played  the  part  of  the  good 
Samaritan  so  effectually  to  me.  As  already  said,  I 
tramped  the  whole  week,  following  one  clue  after  an- 
other, only  to  be  disappointed,  until  the  very  end  of 
the  time.  Thursday  of  that  week  was  Thanksgiving, 
but  in  that  part  of  the  State  little  attention  was  paid 
to  it.  At  noon  that  day  I  reached  the  school  of  a 
classmate,  and  my  Thanksgiving  dinner  was  such  as  he 
and  his  generous  pupils  shared  with  me  from  their  well- 
stored  baskets.  The  weather  was  brisk  and  cool,  and 
the  small  streams,  over  which  there  were  no  bridges, 
were  frozen,  so  that  it  was  exhilarating  to  the  nerves, 
if  only  hope  had  not  been  so  long  deferred  as  to  make 
the  heart  sick.  At  noon  on  Friday,  I  turned  in  to  a 
fine-looking  farmhouse  that  stood  far  in  from  the 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  83 

road,  as  most  farmhouses  did  in  that  region,  to  see 
if  I  could  get  something  to  eat.  But  I  had  met  a  boy 
on  horseback  going  out  of  the  gate  as  I  went  in,  and 
he  had  a  bag  on  the  saddle  under  him.  This  looked 
rather  suspicious,  for  in  my  boyhood  I  had  often  been 
sent  with  a  grist  to  the  mill  in  that  fashion.  And,  sure 
enough,  when  I  reached  the  house  and  made  my  wants 
known,  I  was  told  that  they  were  all  out  of  bread 
and  could  get  no  more  until  the  boy  returned  from  the 
mill.  So  I  was  compelled  to  tramp  on  till  evening. 
But  then,  at  the  very  end  of  the  week,  light  broke  in 
on  my  prospects.  I  came  to  the  school  district  at 
White  Oak  in  Fayette  County,  where  an  Oberlin 
student,  Mr.  E.  W.  Beckwith,  was  just  closing  a 
fall  term  in  a  large  district  school,  for  the  sake  of  ac- 
cepting another  near  by  which  he  preferred.  He  in- 
troduced me  to  the  directors  and  I  was  immediately 
engaged  for  the  winter  term,  at  a  salary  larger  than 
I  had  ever  before  had.  But  the  school  could  not  be- 
gin for  a  week.  This,  however,  was  not  disappoint- 
ing to  me,  as  my  trunk  was  left  at  Alton,  near  Co- 
lumbus, where  I  had  come  expecting  a  school. 

So  I  spent  the  week  in  walking  back  to  Alton  to 
find  and  bring  my  trunk.  The  week  brought  ad- 
ventures whose  memory  has  been  very  fresh  in  my 
mind  ever  since,  and  has  served  to  intensify  my  sense 
of  dependence  on  Divine  Providence  whenever  I  have 


84  Story  of  My  Life 

been  in  circumstances  of  perplexity.  When  I  came 
down,  the  streams  were  frozen  over  so  that  there  was 
no  difficulty  in  crossing  them.  But  this  week  brought 
a  thaw  which  broke  up  the  ice  everywhere.  In  walk- 
ing across  the  lots  to  shorten  the  path,  I  came  to  Sugar 
Creek,  which  was  clear  of  ice,  and  there  was  nothing 
to  do  but  ford  it.  Rather  than  travel  all  day  with 
wet  clothes  I  removed  my  trousers,  and  crossed  with- 
out difficulty,  keeping  my  garments  dry.  But  on 
reaching  Clear  Creek  a  more  formidable  task  presented 
itself.  It  was  too  large  and  deep  a  stream  to  be  forded 
when  in  flood  stage  as  it  then  was.  There  were,  how- 
ever, the  remnants  of  a  footbridge  which  had  once 
existed.  This  consisted  of  two  upright  posts  on  either 
side  of  the  stream,  with  a  transverse  beam  connecting 
them  at  a  height  of  several  feet  above  the  raging  cur- 
rent. But  the  approaches  to  it  had  been  carried  away. 
There  were,  however,  rail  fences  built  out  on  either 
side  to  reach  the  posts,  or  so  it  seemed.  So  I  resolved 
to  make  use  of  these  approaches  to  effect  a  crossing. 

On  reaching  the  end  of  the  fence  I  found  that  there 
was  one  length  missing.  There  was,  however,  a  lot 
of  driftwood  between,  which  I  thought  was  dense 
enough  to  hold  me.  So  I  ventured  to  trust  to  it  and 
made  a  spring  for  the  upright  post.  I  was  mistaken. 
The  driftwood  deceived  me,  and  I  plunged  up  to  my 
arms  in  the  icy  current.  But  I  reached  the  post,  and 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  85 

climbing  it  like  a  squirrel,  arrived  safely  at  the  top, 
threw  up  my  feet  to  let  the  water  run  out  of  my  boots, 
and  proceeded  to  hitch  myself  across  to  the  other  side. 
There  I  descended  without  difficulty,  in  the  midst  of 
a  herd  of  friendly  cows,  that  were  lying  down  and 
leisurely  chewing  their  cuds  amid  the  dry  leaves  in  the 
fence  corners.  They  all  obligingly  vacated  their 
warm  beds  and  gathered  around  me  in  a  semicircle 
and  looked  wistfully  on  to  see  what  I  would  do. 
What  I  did  was  to  strip  myself  of  my  clothing  and 
wring  out  of  the  various  garments  all  the  water  that 
I  could  and  then  reclothe  myself  and  start  on  as  briskly 
as  possible  to  keep  from  being  chilled.  This  I  suc- 
ceeded fairly  well  in  doing  and  in  due  time  reached 
the  boarding  place  of  an  Oberlin  teacher  whom  I  well 
knew.  Here  I  was  properly  cared  for  over  night  and 
made  ready  to  resume  my  tramp  in  the  morning. 

In  due  time  I  found  my  trunk  and  took  an  evening 
train  for  London,  Madison  County,  from  which  a  good 
pike  led  south,  passing  about  five  miles  from  my 
school.  But  how  to  get  the  trunk  carried  that  dis- 
tance was  a  problem,  for  the  three  dollars  which  Mrs. 
Dobyns  had  given  me  was  nearly  exhausted.  Nothing 
daunted,  however,  I  went  to  the  principal  hotel,  where 
their  rates  were  moderate,  and  took  a  room  for  the 
night.  I  was  given  a  bed  beside  one  already  occupied 
by  two  full-grown  men,  and  was  told  that  another 


86  Story  of  My  Life 

man  would  be  assigned  after  a  short  time  to  the  bed 
with  me.  Before  this  happened,  however,  I  had  fallen 
asleep,  so  that  I  knew  nothing  of  my  bedfellow  until 
morning.  Then  I  found  that  he  was  a  prominent 
member  of  the  United  Brethren  Church  and  a  trustee 
of  Otterbein  University  at  Westerville.  (I  am  sorry 
to  have  forgotten  his  name.)  He  told  me  that  he 
had  driven  up  from  the  south  to  bring  some  of  his 
family  to  take  the  train,  and  was  to  return  early  in  the 
day,  and  would  be  glad  to  carry  me  and  my  luggage 
along  to  the  point  where  I  would  leave  the  pike.  This 
relieved  all  my  anxiety,  and  I  was  landed  at  "  Hen 
Peck,"  the  nearest  settlement  to  my  school. 

The  mud  was  so  deep  that  it  was  impossible  to  get 
a  team  across,  and  so  I  took  out  a  few  necessary  clothes 
from  my  trunk,  did  them  up  in  a  large  silk  handker- 
chief and  trudged  across  lots  to  my  boarding  place. 
Open  highways  were  scarce  in  that  region,  their  place 
being  largely  taken  by  private  roads,  leading  through 
gateways  which  had  to  be  carefully  opened  and  shut  by 
each  traveler.  This,  of  course,  was  no  trouble  to  one 
who  was  walking.  But  when,  several  weeks  after,  for 
it  was  impossible  to  go  earlier,  I  went  for  my  trunk 
on  horseback,  I  experienced  much  trouble  in  getting 
through  some  of  these  gateways.  All  the  fences  were 
of  rails  and  very  high  to  keep  horses  from  jumping 
them.  As  my  trunk  was  balanced  on  the  pommel  of 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  $7 

my  saddle  before  me,  I  found  it  difficult  to  open  and 
shut  the  large  gates  without  getting  off  my  horse, 
which  I  did  not  like  to  do  as  it  was  a  difficult  oper- 
ation to  keep  the  trunk  in  place  while  getting  off  and 
on.  So  for  the  most  part  I  opened  the  gates  according 
to  custom  without  dismounting.  At  one  gate,  how- 
ever, my  trunk  fell  to  the  ground,  forcing  on  me  a 
task  that  was  difficult  to  manage.  To  get  it  on  again 
and  be  myself  in  the  saddle  was  no  easy  matter.  What 
I  did  was  to  first  lift  the  trunk  to  the  top  of  the 
fence,  and  then,  mounting  the  saddle,  try  to  pull  it 
off  so  that  it  would  strike  the  pommel  before  me  and 
not  scare  the  horse.  After  several  trials  I  succeeded, 
and  went  joyfully  on  my  way. 

The  school  at  White  Oak  was  large,  numbering 
more  than  eighty  scholars;  ranging  in  age  from  four 
to  twenty  years.  But  I  succeeded  in  giving  satisfac- 
tion, and  at  the  same  time  made  the  winter  more 
profitable  to  myself  from  the  fact  that  I  had  a  single 
boarding  place,  and  so  could  continue  my  studies  better 
than  when  boarding  around.  An  event  of  much 
significance  to  me  in  shaping  the  work  of  my  after 
life  was,  that  by  a  singular  combination  of  circum- 
stances I  here  preached  my  first  sermon.  There  was 
no  church  in  the  place  or  for  several  miles  around. 
But  about  the  middle  of  the  winter  a  Methodist 
Protestant  minister  announced  that  he  would  hold  a 


88  Story  of  My  Life 

protracted  meeting  in  the  schoolhouse.  At  the  ap- 
pointed time  he  arrived,  and  came  to  my  boarding 
place.  But  unfortunately  he  was  taken  temporarily  ill 
so  that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  attend  the  meeting. 
Under  these  conditions,  he  said  the  only  thing  to  be 
done  was  for  me  to  go  and  take  charge  of  it.  The 
schoolhouse  was  full,  but  there  was  no  one  but  myself 
there  to  conduct  any  religious  services.  So  I  ventured 
to  go  ahead  and  do  the  best  I  could,  and  preached  a 
sermon  from  Acts  iii.  19,  "  Repent  ye  therefore,  and 
be  converted,  that  your  sins  may  be  blotted  out,  when 
the  times  of  refreshing  shall  come  from  the  presence 
of  the  Lord."  In  the  sermon  I  tried  to  impress  it 
upon  them  that  they  were  not  to  wait  for  a  revival 
to  be  converted,  but  that  they  were  to  produce  a 
"time  of  refreshing"  by -turning  to  the  Lord  and 
seeking  the  forgiveness  of  their  sins.  On  the  follow- 
ing day  the  minister  was  better,  and  afterwards  con- 
ducted .the  meetings,  relying  constantly  on  me  for  sup- 
port. The  results  were  more  than  any  one  had  anti- 
cipated. There  was  a  large  number  who  confessed 
conversion  and  a  church  was  formed  and  soon  after 
a  meetinghouse  erected,  making  it  a  permanent  center 
of  Christian  influence. 

My  fourth  winter  was  spent  in  teaching  a  school 
near  Martins  Ferry,  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the 
State,  opposite  Wheeling,  Virginia.  The  conditions 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  89 

here  were  peculiarly  pleasant.  An  older  college  mate 
had  taught  the  school  for  three  or  four  seasons,  and 
recommended  me  as  his  successor.  It  was  a  country 
school  in  a  district  largely  composed  of  Scotch  Presby- 
terians, and  I  boarded  in  one  place.  It  was  of  much 
significance  also  that  I  was  now  in  the  midst  of  the 
coal  measures,  where  a  new  geological  horizon  opened 
up  before  me,  just  as  I  was  in  the  midst  of  studying 
geology  in  college.  Of  the  interest  aroused  in  my 
mind  by  these  telltale  remnants  of  the  distant  past  I 
have  often  been  reminded  when  in  later  years  I  have 
met  the  men  who  were  boys  then  and  scoured  the  fields 
with  me  on  Saturday  afternoons  to  gather  fossils. 

THE   ANTI-SLAVERY   CONFLICT 

To  the  friends  of  righteousness  and  justice  in  the 
United  States  the  fifth  decade  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury was  one  of  deep  anxiety  and  gloom.  Slavery 
was  fastened  upon  the  nation  with  a  tightening  grasp 
which  foreboded  evils  to  come  from  which  the  boldest 
heart  shrank  in  terror.  The  Fugitive  Slave  Law  made 
it  a  crime  to  help  a  panting  fugitive  who  should  call 
on  you  while  escaping  from  the  cruel  bondage  of  a 
system  that  violated  every  human  right  and  privilege 
of  humanity.  About  the  middle  of  my  college  course 
the  opening  up  of  the  territory  of  Kansas  to  settle- 
ment, and  the  granting  by  Congress  of  the  right  of 


90  Story  of  My  Life 

the  settlers  to  determine  whether  it  should  be  slave  or 
free  territory,  convulsed  the  nation.  It  was  a  strife 
to  see  whether  the  Northern  States  could  rush  in  set- 
tlers enough  to  outvote  those  from  the  South  who 
favored  making  it  a  slave  state.  At  one  time  Charles 
Finney,  a  son  of  President  Finney,  came  home  from 
a  visit  to  Kansas  and  presented  the  situation  in  such 
a  strong  light  that  almost  the  whole  sophomore,  class 
enlisted  to  arm  themselves  and  go  to  Kansas  to  help 
the  Free-state  party  repel  the  ruffians  from  the  South- 
ern States  who  were  trying  to  dominate  the  policy  of 
the  territory  and  make  of  it  a  slave-holding  state.  It 
was  only  by  the  most  strenuous  efforts  of  the  professors 
that  the  class  was  dissuaded  from  this  rash  under- 
taking. 

The  Oberlin-Wellington  Rescue  Case  occurred  in 
the  autumn  of  1858,  and  with  its  sequelae  was  one 
of  the  most  portentous  presages  of  the  Civil  War, 
which  followed  three  years  later,  while  its  influence 
on  the  student  body  at  Oberlin  was  profound  in  the 
extreme.  The  circumstances  were  these.  A  negro 
boy  named  John  appeared  in  Oberlin  and  remained  for 
some  time  before  anything  was  known  of  his  origin 
or  history.  In  the  early  autumn  of  1858  two  sus- 
picious characters  came  to  the  town  and  put  up  at  a 
hotel  which  was  kept  by  a  rabid  pro-slavery  landlord, 
and  lingered  around  for  several  days  without  any  ap- 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  91 

parent  object.  But  this  was  soon  revealed  in  a 
startling  manner.  A  lad  from  out  of  town  came  in 
one  day  and  persuaded  John  to  go  with  him  a  mile 
or  two  to  the  east,  ostensibly  to  dig  potatoes.  But 
when  half  way  to  the  place  the  two  strangers  re- 
ferred to  drove  up,  by  arrangement,  beside  the  buggy 
and  took  John  by  main  force  into  the  carriage  with 
them  and  straightway  started  toward  the  nearest  rail- 
road station  leading  toward  Kentucky,  which  was 
Wellington,  nine  miles  south  of  Oberlin.  By  good 
fortune,  a  citizen  of  Oberlin  met  them  on  the  way 
and  suspected  what  they  were  doing.  He  hastened 
home  and  the  news  spread  like  wildfire  throughout 
the  town  that  John  Was  being  kidnapped  and  carried 
off  to  slavery.  There  was  an  immediate  rush  to  get 
teams  to  take  the  indignant  citizens  to  Wellington  in 
time  to  intercept  the  party  before  the  train  should  ar- 
rive. I  was  among  those  that  found  a  place  in  a 
team  that  started  for  the  scene;  but  a  taller  and 
stronger  classmate  intercepted  us  and  persuaded  me 
that  he  could  be  of  more  service  than  I  could  be,  and 
so  I  gave  him  my  place,  and  thus  missed  the  scenes 
which  took  place  at  Wellington.  It  was  perhaps  well, 
since  my  substitute  was  J.  L.  Patton,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  actors  in  the  actual  rescue  of  the  prisoner. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  John  was  rescued,  and  brought 
back  to  Oberlin,  where  he  disappeared  from  sight,  hav- 


92  Story  of  My  Life 

ing  been  secreted,  as  we  learned  later,  in  the  garret  of 
Professor  James  Fairchild,  until  he  could  be  spirited 
off  to  Canada. 

The  sequelae  were  that  United  States  marshals  came 
to  Oberlin  and  arrested  for  violation  of  the  Fugitive 
Slave  Law,  twenty-nine  citizens  and  students,  who  were 
in  due  time  taken  to  Cleveland,  and  on  their  refusal  to 
give  bail,  incarcerated  in  the  city  jail  until  trial,  and 
while  the  trial  continued.  Among  those  arrested  were 
Professor  H.  E.  Peck  and  several  of  my  classmates. 
The  principal  evidence  against  Professor  Peck  was 
that  he  had  been  heard  to  pray  in  public  "  that  justice 
might  be  done  in  this  matter."  He  had  not  been 
present  at  the  rescue.  But  as  he  was  a  man  of  prop- 
erty he  was  a  conspicuous  victim.  In  due  time  the 
trial  proceeded,  but  slowly.  The  ablest  lawyers  of 
Cleveland  volunteered  their  services  for  the  defense  of 
the  prisoners.  The  law,  however,  was  clear,  and  the 
first  two  who  came  to  trial  (Langston  and  Bushnell) 
were  convicted.  But,  before  proceeding  to  the  other 
cases,  the  trial  was  stopped  for  a  week  to  await  the 
result  of  an  attempt  to  enforce  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus 
issued  by  State  officials  demanding  that  the  prisoners 
be  removed  from  the  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States 
court  and  turned  over  to  the  State  court.  This  case 
was  immediately  taken  up  to  the  Supreme  Court  of 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  93 

the  State  at  Columbus  and  argued  before  them  for  a 
week. 

While  this  was  going  on,  a  great  mass  meeting  was 
held  in  Cleveland  before  the  walls  of  the  jail,  and 
speeches  of  the  most  incendiary  character  were  made 
by  various  prominent  friends  of  the  prisoners.  At  the 
same  time  a  platform  was  erected  inside  the  prison, 
so  that  some  of  the  prisoners  could  address  the  crowd 
from  the  prison  walls.  Among  those  making  addresses 
from  the  outside  were  Joshua  R.  Giddings,  and  Sen- 
ator Benjamin  Wade,  both  abolitionists,  who  urged 
active  opposition  to  the  enforcement  of  the  law.  But 
most  significant  of  all  was  the  address  of  Salmon  P. 
Chase,  then  governor  of  the  State.  Referring  to  the 
writ  of  habeas  corpus  then  being  argued  at  Columbus, 
he  assured  the  people  that  if  it  was  sustained  by  the 
court,  he  would  use  all  the  power  of  the  State  to 
execute  it. 

Thus,  only  two  and  a  half  years  before  South  Car- 
olina set  itself  up  in  opposition  to  the  general  govern- 
ment, Ohio  was  on  the  point  of  bringing  on  the  contest 
for  states'  rights,  and  plunging  the  country  into  a 
civil  war  with  the  advantages  all  in  favor  of  the  slave- 
holding  states.  But  Providence  interposed  and  pre- 
vented such  a  miscarriage.  The  court  at  Columbus 
consisted  of  five  able  judges,  who,  after  considering 
all  the  arguments,  were  equally  divided,  two  voting 


94  Story  of  My  Life 

to  sustain  the  writ,  and  two  against;  so  that  Chief 
Justice  Swan  had  to  give  the  casting  vote.  He  had 
been  long  in  the  service  of  the  State,  as  judge  in  the 
inferior  courts  and  now  for  four  years  on  the  supreme 
bench,  and  was  well  known  as  an  ardent  anti-slaverv 
advocate,  so  that  the  radical  party  fully  expected  that 
he  would  sustain  the  writ.  Moreover,  his  term  was 
about  to  expire,  and  the  convention  that  was  to  nom- 
inate his  successor  was  to  convene  in  a  few  days,  and 
such  was  the  complexion  of  this  convention  that  his 
nomination  would  be  impossible  if  he  did  not  sustain 
the  writ.  This,  however,  he  failed  to  do,  and  in  an 
opinion  that  ranks  among  the  most  memorable  ever 
given  by  a  United  States  judge,  rejected  the  writ,  in 
this,  disappointing  the  radical  abolitionists,  but  saving 
the  country  from  a  premature  civil  war,  with  all  the 
odds  against  the  free  states. 

The  closing  words  of  his  opinion  are  worthy  of 
permanent  record:  "As  a  citizen  I  would  not  delib- 
erately violate  the  Constitution  or  the  law  by  inter- 
ference with  fugitives  from  service.  But  if  a  weary, 
frightened  slave  should  appeal  to  me  to  protect  him 
from  his  pursuers,  I  might  momentarily  forget  my 
allegiance  to  the  law  and  the  Constitution  and  give 
him  a  covert  from  those  who  were  on  his  track.  There 
are,  no  doubt,  many  slave-holders  who  would  thus 
follow  the  instincts  of  human  sympathy.  And  if  I 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  95 

did  it,  and  was  prosecuted,  condemned,  and  imprisoned, 
and  brought  by  my  counsel  before  this  tribunal  on  a 
habeas  corpus,  and  was  then  permitted  to  pronounce 
judgment  on  my  own  case,  I  trust  I  should  have  the 
moral  courage  to  say  before  God  and  my  country,  as 
I  am  now  compelled  to  say,  that  under  the  solemn 
duties  of  a  Judge,  bound  by  the  Constitution  and  the 
law  '  the  prisoner  must  be  remanded.' "  The  para- 
graph immediately  preceding  this,  ran  as  follows: 

"  For  myself  as  a  member  of  the  Court,  I  disclaim 
the  judicial  power  of  disturbing  the  settled  construc- 
tion of  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  as  to  the 
legislative  authority  of  Congress  upon  this  subject, 
and  I  must  refuse  the  experiment  of  introducing  dis- 
order and  governmental  collision."  It  is  a  shame  to 
the  state  of  Ohio  that  Judge  Swan  was  not  only  not 
renominated  at  the  convention  which  met.  soon  after 
this  decision;  but  that  he  was  retired  thereafter  to 
private  life,  and  the  great  service  which  he  rendered 
the  commonwealth,  the  nation,  and  the  world,  has 
never  been  properly  recognized. 

The  end  of  the  trial  of  the  rescuers  who  were  still 
in  the  Cleveland  jail  came  soon  in  an  unexpected  way 
which  sheds  much  light  on  the  relation  of  the  states 
to  the  general  government.  During  the  recess  oc- 
casioned by  the  habeas  corpus  episode,  the  Kentucky 
slave  catchers,  who  were  needed  to  give  witness  in  the 


g6  Story  of  My  Life 

cases,  took  occasion  to  go  to  their  homes  for  the  time 
that  the  court  at  Cleveland  was  not  in  session.  When, 
however,  on  their  return,  they  were  passing  through 
Wellington  on  the  train,  they  were  arrested  by  Lo- 
rain-county  officials  on  charge  of  having  violated  a 
state  law  against  kidnapping,  for  it  was  contended 
that  they  had  not  given  evidence  that  John  was  a  slave 
from  Kentucky.  Consequently  they  were  incarcerated 
in  the  county  jail  at  Elyria  to  await  trial  before  a 
Lorain-county  jury,  for  a  most  heinous  offense.  This 
brought  them  to  terms,  and  they  agreed  that  if  they 
were  let  off  further  action  against  the  Wellington 
rescuers  would  be  discontinued.  And  so  ended,  for 
the  time,  the  trial.  But  it  had  stirred  the  country 
to  the  depths,  and  had  done  much  to  prepare  the  pub- 
lic sentiment  both  of  the  North  and  of  the  South  for 
the  crisis  that  broke  upon  the  world  in  1861. 

THE  CIVIL  WAR 

After  graduating  from  college  in  1859,  I  began 
the  theological  course.  But  in  1861  there  came  the 
Civil  War,  and  on  April  15  the  call  of  President 
Lincoln  for  75,00x3  volunteers  for  a  term  of  three 
months  to  put  down  the  rebellion  that  had  been  started 
by  South  Carolina.  Naturally  this  call  came  with 
peculiar  force  to  the  students  of  Oberlin.  A  mass 
meeting  was  called  in  the  First  Church,  which  was 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  97 

addressed  by  Professor  Monroe,  who  came  up  from 
the  legislature  to  urge  on  us  the  duty  of  showing  our 
faith  by  our  works.  We  at  Oberlin  had  talked  so 
much  against  slavery  that  it  was  now  time  for  us  to 
act  and  set  an  example  to  the  rest  of  the  nation.  In 
fact,  as  it  was  said,  "  We  must  now  put  up  or  shut 
up."  The  roll  for  volunteers  was  opened  on  the  spot, 
and  I  was  among  the  first  to  sign  my  name.  Professor 
Fairchild  did  not  give  us  much  encouragement,  since 
he  thought  the  South  would  be  successful  in  setting  up 
a  rival  government.  But,  he  said,  we  must  fight  in 
order  to  obtain  favorable  terms  of  adjustment. 

In  a  few  days  two  full  companies  were  formed  and 
ready  to  offer  themselves  to  the  government.  Only 
one  of  them,  however,  could  be  accepted.  I  was  in 
the  one  which  entered  the  service.  The  company  con- 
sisted of  students  from  all  the  classes,  eight  or  ten 
being  from  the  Theological  Seminary,  of  which  I  was 
a  member.  The  captain  was  G.  W.  Shurtleff,  my 
roommate,  who  left  the  war  a  Brigadier  General. 
The  first  lieutenant  was  J.  N.  Cross  (severely  wounded 
at  Cross  Lanes),  the  second  lieutenant,  E.  H.  Baker, 
from  the  class  ahead  of  me.  The  whole  town  was 
active  in  making  uniforms  for  us  until  we  went  into 
Camp  Taylor,  which  we  soon  did  at  Cleveland,  where 
we  were  made  members  of  the  Seventh  Regiment  of 
Ohio  Volunteers.  In  due  time  we  were  ordered  to 


98  Story  of  My  Life 

report  at  Camp  Dennison  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
State.  It  was  a  memorable  scene  when  we  marched 
through  the  streets  of  Cleveland,  with  the  accom- 
paniments of  music  and  banners,  to  the  railroad  train 
that  was  to  convey  us  to  our  new  quarters.  The  tears 
of  our  friends  and  loved  ones  were  strangely  mingled 
with  the  encouraging  hurrahs  of  the  crowd,  who  were 
moved  by  nothing  but  their  patriotic  feelings.  We 
reached  Camp  Dennison  in  a  soaking  rain  which  had 
transformed  our  grounds  into  a  mudhole,  only  to  find 
that  our  barracks  were  only  partially  erected,  and  that 
we  had  but  a  half  blanket  apiece  with  which  to  protect 
ourselves  from  the  inclement  weather.  In  fact  it  ap- 
peared that  we  had  been  hurried  into  camp  in  order 
to  circumvent  a  crafty  contractor  who  was  defrauding 
the  government  by  his  dilatory  and  dishonest  work. 
But  we  all  made  the  best  of  the  situation,  some  of  us 
even  courting  hardships  in  order  to  show  ourselves 
good  soldiers.  Everything  was  in. confusion  and  dis- 
order for  some  time. 

It  was  not  long,  under  these  conditions,  before  a 
crisis  came  in  my  career.  In  fact  I  was  not  of  a  robust 
constitution  to  begin  with,  and  had  contracted  a  severe 
cold  immediately  on  arriving  in  the  camp.  But  noth- 
ing daunted  I  did  not  object  to  being  put  out  on 
picket  duty  one  night  about  nine  o'clock  to  guard  the 
headquarters  of  General  Cox,  who  had  been  appointed 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  99 

to  command  the  brigade.  This  was  before  we  had 
been  provided  with  arms,  and  I  had  nothing  but  a 
stick  burnt  black  at  one  end  with  which  to  shoot,  as 
I  was  commanded,  anyone  who  could  not  give  the 
password,  and  refused  to  halt  at  my  order.  Un- 
fortunately I  was  forgotten  by  the  sergeants  that 
should  have  brought  me  relief  in  proper  time,  and  was 
left  on  my  beat  all  night,  not  being  relieved  till  nine 
the  next  morning.  The  exposure  was  too  much  for 
my  reduced  system,  and  before  noon  I  was  prostrated 
with  a  severe  pneumonia,  accompanied  with  racking 
pleuritic  pains.  As  no  hospital  had  been  provided  I 
was  taken  by  my  comrades  into  a  large  barn  standing 
near  and  laid  on  a  haymow  to  spend  the  afternoon  and 
night.  Mr.  Austin,  who  afterwards  became  a  success- 
ful physician,  and  was  even  then  a  noted  nurse,  de- 
voted himself  to  me  and  did  all  that  could  be  done  to 
make  me  comfortable  under  the  circumstances.  On 
the  next  day  an  adjoining  shed  was  cleared  and  trans- 
formed into  a  temporary  hospital,  and  a  large  number 
of  cots  brought  up  from  Cincinnati  with  accompanying 
bedding.  Against  the  rules  and  in  violation  of  the 
red  tape,  Mr.  Austin  broke  open  a  box  and  got  me 
on  a  cot  the  first  one.  But  before  night  there  were 
more  than  fifty  brought  into  the  shed  in  much  the 
same  condition  as  that  I  was  in.  The  first  night  the 
patient  who  lay  on  the  cot  next  me  died.  My  fever 


100  Story  of  My  Life 

was  high,  and  my  life  was  despaired  of.  In  a  short 
time,  however,  I  was  convalescent  and  taken  into  a 
private  family  in  Cincinnati  to  stay  until  able  to  go 
back  to  Oberlin  on  a  sick-leave  furlough.  This  was 
as  far  as  I  ever  got  toward  actual  warfare.  But  it 
was  far  enough  to  prepare  me  to  take  an  interest  in 
the  contest  such  as  to  make  a  permanent  influence  on 
my  whole  subsequent  views  of  life  and  of  religious, 
social,  and  political  duties. 

While  I  was  in  the  hospital  the  order  was  given  for 
the  re-enlistment  for  three  years  of  such  members  of 
the  company  as  were  willing  to  do  so.  I  gave  my 
name  for  re-enlistment,  but  when  the  time  arrived  my 
health  was  not  sufficiently  recovered  for  me  to  be  ac- 
cepted, and  in  fact  it  was  not  till  the  war  was  nearly 
over  that  I  was  again  physically  fit  for  military  serv- 
ice. But  harder  to  bear  than  the  hazards  of  the  battle 
field  itself  was  the  anxious  waiting  to  hear  the  news 
from  the  front  in  which  so  many  of  my  comrades 
were  exposing  their  lives  for  the  common  weal.  The 
Company  to  which  I  belonged  began  its  career  in  the 
field  in  West  Virginia,  where  after  arduous  and  try- 
ing marching  and  counter-marching  they  were  sur- 
rounded on  the  24th  of  August,  1861,  at  Cross  Lanes, 
near  Gauley  Bridge,  by  ah  overwhelming  .  force  of 
Confederates,  and  a  disastrous  engagement  followed. 
Six  were  left  seriously  wounded  on  the  field,  two  of 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  101 

whom  (Collins  and  Jeakins)  died,  while  the  other 
four  were  maimed  for  life.  Twenty-nine  were  cap- 
tured, and  languished  in  Southern  prisons  for  a  year 
or  more,  two  of  them  (Parmenter  and  Biggs)  dying 
in  New  Orleans.  The  rest,  after  untold  hardships 
in  making  their  way  through  the  trackless'  forest  sur- 
rounding them  in  a  mountainous  region,  reached  the 
main  army,  under  General  Cox,  and  resumed  their 
military  duties.  Other  recruits  joined  them,  and  the 
regiment  was  transferred  to  the  eastern  side  of  the 
mountains,  and  entered  on  a  long  career  of  most  try- 
ing campaigns.  Through  two  long  winters  they 
camped  and  did  picket  duty  amid  mountains  deeply 
covered  with  snow,  alternately  advancing  and  retreat- 
ing in  endeavors  to  defeat  the  plans  of  the  enemy  under 
Stonewall  Jackson.  During  it  all  they  maintained 
their  regular  religious  services.  Professor  Ellis  visit- 
ing them  in  their  camp  near  Romney  in  the  middle  of 
the  winter  wrote  as  follows  of  their  courage  and  de- 
votion :  "  When  their  ranks  had  been  thinned  by 
capture  and  death,  and  they  had  passed  through  all 
the  corrupting  tendencies  and  temptations  of  their  new 
life  for  nearly  a  year,  I  saw  them  in  their  tents  in  the 
heart  of  Virginia,  and  nightly  from  the  six  tents  went 
up  the  voice  of  song  and  prayer  as  they  bowed  before 
their  family  altars." 

At  the  battle  of  Winchester,  March  22,  1862,  Dan- 


IO2  Story  of  My  Life 

forth,  Sackett,  Palmer,  Coburn,  Worcester,  and  Cyrus 
W.  Hamilton  were  killed  and  six  others  seriously 
wounded.  At  the  battle  of  Port  Republic,  June  9, 
Romaine,  J.  Kingsbury,  Hamilton,  Judson,  Gates,  and 
Magary,  were  either  killed  or  mortally  wounded.  At 
the  battle  of  Cedar  Mountain,  August  8,  Ross,  Bowler, 
Evers,  Shepard,  Rappleye,  and  Richmond  were  killed 
and  seven  others  were  wounded.  Seventy-five  per 
cent  of  all  the  members  of  the  regiment  were  either 
killed  or  wounded  on  that  fatal  day.  Later  they  were 
at  the  battles  of  Antietam,  Chancellorsville,  and  Get- 
tysburg, when  they  were  transferred  to  join  the  army 
of  the  Tennessee.  Here  the  regiment  took  part  in 
the  battles  of  Lookout  Mountain  and  Mission  Ridge, 
and  then  were  rushed  on  to  the  most  disastrous  day 
of  all,  the  battle  of  Ringgold,  which  General  Grant,  in 
his  "  Memoirs,"  passes  over  with  the  simple  remark 
that  "  it  was  a  mistake."  They  were  ordered  to 
charge  an  impregnable  position  on  Taylor's  Ridge. 
There  was  nothing  for  them  to  do  but  obey,  so  on 
they  pressed  through  a  narrow  defile  amid  the  roar  of 
"  cannon  to  right  of  them,  cannon  to  left  of  them,  and 
cannon  in  front  of  them."  Every  commissioned  of- 
ficer of  the  regiment  but  one  was  killed.  "  Of  the 
twenty  men  in  Co.  C,  who  entered  the  action,  six 
[Jones,  Fish,  Wall,  Wood,  King,  and  Sweet]  were 
killed  and  eight,  wounded,"  one  of  whom  (Gardner) 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  103 

died  on  the  next  day.  The  touching  summary  reads, 
"  The  Company  marched  2,400  miles,  and  traveled 
by  rail  and  steamers  4,800  miles.  It  encamped  194 
times.  Thirty-one  men  lost  their  lives  by  battle,  seven 
by  disease,  and  one  was  drowned." 

But  this  is  only  a  specimen  of  what  occurred  to 
thousands  of  other  companies  from  all  over  the  land. 
A  still  larger  number  of  Oberlin  students  than  those 
in  Co.  C  joined  other  regiments  and  suffered  fatalities 
in  equal  proportions.  General  Shurtleff  organized  the 
first  Negro  regiment  that  went  from  Ohio.  This  was 
in  the  slaughter  pen  at  Petersburg,  Virginia,  when  an 
advance  was  ordered  into  a  gap  in  the  fortress  in  which 
a  mine  had  been  exploded.  But  the  order  came  too 
late,  and  the  enemy  had  time  to  rally  and  concentrate 
artillery  fire  upon  them;  when,  as  the  General  told 
me,  more  of  his  men  were  killed  in  ten  minutes  than 
were  killed  in  the  whole  Spanish  war  in  1898.  Alto- 
gether 3,000,000  men  enlisted  in  the  war,  350,000 
of  whom  never  returned.  Two  cases  from  the  parish 
in  Vermont  which  I  was  serving  during  the  last  years 
of  the  war,  specially  impressed  me,  and  they  were  but 
specimens  that  could  be  duplicated  in  almost  even' 
hamlet  of  the  land.  One  wyas  that  of  a  prisoner  taken 
to  Andersonville  whose  emaciated  form  was  last  seen 
as  he  was  trying  to  escape  from  the  horrors  of  that 
charnel  house.  The  other  was  that  of  a  half-witted 


IO4  Story  of  My  Life 

boy  who  was  forcibly  carried  off  to  the  war  just  be- 
fore the  battles  of  the  Wilderness.  In  them  he  dis- 
appeared, and  never  could  we  learn  the  circumstances 
of  his  death.  No  one  can  pass  through  such  experi- 
ences and  not  be  a  changed  man.  Since  then  life  has 
never  looked  the  same  to  me. 

The  experiences  of  the  last  winter  vacation  while 
in  the  Seminary  are  worthy  of  note  in  shaping  my 
career.  My  most  intimate  companion  during  the  last 
years  of  my  course  of  study  was  Henry  S.  Bennett,  of 
Brownsville,  Pennsylvania,  later  for  many  years  pro- 
fessor in  Fisk  University.  His  parents  were  Quakers 
of  considerable  prominence  in  the  place,  but  he  early 
became  a  member  of  a  Cumberland  Presbyterian 
church  in  his  native  town.  More  than  once  I  visited 
him  at  his  home  in  the  picturesque  and  thriving  valley 
of  the  Monongahela  River.  In  the  winter  of  1861-62 
he  went  to  spend  the  vacation  with  his  parents.  The 
church  to  which  he  belonged  was  in  a  very  depressed 
condition,  so  that  the  pastor  had  resigned  and  was 
teaching  school  in  a  neighboring  district.  In  the 
emergency  my  friend  began  to  supply  the  pulpit,  and 
soon  there  was  manifest  a  marked  increase  of  interest. 
The  work  which  was  opening  being  more  than  he  felt 
prepared  to  undertake  alone,  he  sent  for  me  to  come 
to  his  assistance,  as  he  knew  that  I  had  not  thought  it 


College  Days  at  Oberlin  105 

best  to  undertake  full  work  anywhere  on  account  of 
my  health.  Very  soon  the  interest  so  deepened  that 
meetings  were  held  every  evening  with  preaching  alter- 
nately by  him  and  myself.  We  were  spoken  of  as 
the  "  boy  preachers."  But  we  made  no  effort  at  sen- 
sation, simply  presenting  the  gospel  as  we  understood 
it  and  the  church  believed  it.  The  results  were  re- 
markable. There  were  more  than  a  hundred  substan- 
tial additions  to  the  church,  putting  it  into  a  condition 
which  has  made  it  a  power  ever  since.  This  experience 
gave  a  turn  to  the  preaching  of  both  of  us  during  our 
•  later  years.  But  the  conditions  were  never  repeated, 
and  we  had  to  adjust  our  efforts  to  the  needs  of  the 
several  fields  which  opened  before  us.  What  these 
were  in  my  own  case  will  presently  appear. 


106  Story  of  My  Life 


CHAPTER  III 
TEN  YEARS  IN  A  COUNTRY  PARISH 

THE  choice  of  a  field  of  labor  at  the  close  of  my 
theological  course  was  made  from  such  a  variety  of 
motives  that  it  is  difficult  for  me  to  understand  what 
they  were  and  what  were  the  predominating  ones.  In 
making  it,  Providence  took  advantage  of  my  ignor- 
ance both  of  the  world  into  which  I  was  to  be  ushered, 
and  of  my  own  capacities.  Realizing  this,  and  seeituj; 
the  outcome,  I  have  been  slow  to  give  advice  to  younc; 
men  about  their  choice  of  fields  of  labor.  Several 
years  later,  Hastings  H.  Hart,  when  about  to  gradu- 
ate from  Andover  Seminary,  asked  my  advice  about 
accepting  one  out  of  several  openings  that  were  before 
him,  and  all  that  I  could  say  was  that  he  should  think 
the  matter  through  as  well  as  he  could,  and  pray  over 
it,  and  then  shut  hisi  eyes  and  take  a  leap  in  the  dark, 
and  that  he  would  not  know  till  well  along  in  eternity 
how  fortunate  a  choice  he  had  made.  But  in  his  case 
he  did  not  have  to  wait  so  long  as  I  expected.  He 
decided  to  go  to  a  small  church  in  southwestern  Min- 
nesota. There  I  found  him  two  or  three  years  later, 
just  after  a  terrific  tornado  had  desolated  the  region 
and  opened  to  him  the  career  for  which  he  was  spe- 


Ten    Years    in   a   Country   Parish  107 

daily  fitted.  He  plunged  into  the  relief  work  with 
such  zeal  and  success  that  he  became  a  marked  man, 
and  was  soon  called  to  take  charge  of  general  relief 
work  throughout  the  State,  and  later  was  promoted 
to  a  prominence  which  has  made  him  a  leader  in  guid- 
ing the  work  of  the  National  Conference  of  Charities 
and  Correction.  He  is  now  at  the  head  of  the  Child 
Helping  Department  of  the  Russell  Sage  Foundation 
in  New  York  City. 

Several  churches  were  ready  to  call  me  when  I 
graduated  in  1862.  For  some  reason  or  other,  I 
scarcely  know  what,  I  chose  the  field  which  offered 
the  smallest  salary  and  about  which  I  knew  the  least. 
This  was  in  Bakersfield,  near  St.  Albans,  in  the  north- 
western part  of  Vermont. 

Before  going,  I  married  Huldah  Maria  Day,  who 
for  almost  forty  years  afforded  me  just  the  companion- 
ship and  sympathetic  support  I  needed  in  my  work. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  Judge  William  Day  of  Shef- 
field, Ohio,  and  had  been  educated  not  in  Oberlin  but 
at  the  girls'  school  at  Willoughby,  taught  by  Miss 
Roxana  Tenney,  a  very  eminent  teacher  of  the  time. 
Upon  the  burning  of  the  building  at  Willoughby  the 
parties  interested  in  the  school  founded  Lake  Erie  Sem- 
inary, now  Lake  Erie  College,  at  Painesville,  and  the 
Willoughby  graduates  were  counted  as  alumnae  of  that 
institution.  Four  children  were  born  to  us — two  in 


108  Story  of  My  Life 

Vermont,  Mary  Augusta,  now  the  wife  of  Dr.  A.  A. 
Berle  of  Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  and  Etta  Maria, 
ever  my  faithful  assistant  in  literary  work;  two  in 
Andover,  namely,  Frederick  Bennett,  for  twelve  years 
editor  of  Records  of  the  Past  in  Washington,  District 
of  Columbia,  and  Helen  Marcia,  who  has  devoted 
herself  to  settlement  work.  All  these  graduated  from 
Oberlin  College.  Mrs.  Wright  died  in  July,  1899. 

Immediately  after  our  marriage  we  set  out  into  the 
great  unknown.  But  President  Lincoln  had  just  or- 
dered a  draft  of  500,000  soldiers  to  fill  the  depleted 
and  hard-pushed  ranks  of  the  Union  army,  and  I  was 
held  up  in  Cleveland  until  I  could  secure  some  one 
to  sign  a  bond  of  $1,000  that  I  would  come  back 
to  the  State  and  enter  the  army  if  the  lot  should  fall 
on  me.  This  having  been  procured  without  difficulty, 
I  proceeded  on  my  way,  and  in  due  time  reached  what 
was  to  be  my  field  of  labor  for  the  next  ten  years. 

Bakersfield  was  a  small  village  at  the  foot  of  the 
Green  Mountains,  fifteen  miles  from  the  railroad. 
It  was  surrounded  by  a  large,  sparsely  settled  farming 
region,  with  much  woodland  which  could  not  be  cul- 
tivated. The  village  was  very  pleasantly  situated,  and 
had  been  the  seat  of  one  of  the  most  flourishing 
academies  of  the  State.  Indeed,  there  were  two 
academies,  which  had  ruined  each  other  by  their  fierce 
competition.  One  of  these  was  favored  by  the  Con- 


Ten    Years   in   a   Country   Parish  log 

gregational  constituency  and  the  other  by  the  Metho- 
dist. The  one  adjoining  my  own  church  had  become 
famous  the  country  over  under  the  administration  of 
Mr.  Jacob  Spaulding,  and  had  sent  out  a  number  of 
students  who  had  made  great  names  for  themselves. 
But  Mr.  Spaulding  had  been  drawn  away  to  another 
town  (Barre)  in  the  State,  and  after  the  competition 
subsided,  both  academies  were  practically  suspended. 
Still  the  village  was  divided  into  jealous  cliques,  oc- 
cupying the  different  ends  of  it,  who  could  not  forget 
the  conflicts  of  the  past.  The  town,  however,  still 
had  a  goodly  proportion  of  educated  and  cultivated 
residents,  but  mostly  of  limited  means.  Besides,  the 
church  to  which  I  came  had  suffered  the  former  pastor 
to  be  starved  out,  and  he  was  still  living  in  the  place, 
and  justly  claimed  the  warm  attachment  of  many  of 
my  parishioners.  He  was  in  fact  an  accomplished 
scholar,  whose  sermons  were  of  a  high  literary  char- 
acter. Had  I  known  the  whole  situation  I  should 
doubtless  have  declined  to  accept  the  invitation  which 
I  had  received.  But  having  once  put  my  hand  to  the 
plow,  it  was  not  best  to  look  back,  so  I  plunged  into 
the  work  before  me. 

The  salary  was  small,  four  hundred  dollars  a  year, 
without  a  parsonage,  and  the  parish  so  scattered  that 
it  was  necessary  to  keep  a  horse.  Happily  situated  in 
my  domestic  affairs,  we  began  to  keep  house  in  three 


HO  Story  of  My  Life 

small  rooms  upstairs  in  a  building  which  was  occupied 
by  one  of  my  most  active,  officious,  and  ill-balanced 
parishioners.  But  his  intentions  were  good,  and  he  had 
inherited  so  many  of  his  peculiarities  that  I  couid 
never  blame  him  much  for  his  inconsiderate  conduct. 
But  one  of  his  actions,  the  first  winter,  I  could  never 
wholly  forget.  When  snow  fell  it  was  necessary  for 
me  to  get  some  kind  of  a  sleigh.  So  as  befitted  my 
financial  standing  I  purchased  a  plain  "  pung,"  which 
was  stronger  and  more  comfortable  than  it  was  ele- 
gant. Naturally  the  people  were  somewhat  piqued 
to  see  their  pastor  riding  about  in  such  a  primitive 
mode  of  conveyance,  especially  as  one  of  the  outspoken 
deacons  in  a  neighboring  church  said,  "  Your  minister 
ought  to*  ride  in  a  pung  if  you  pay  him  only  four  hun- 
dred dollars  a  year  in  war  time."  Whereupon  my 
friend  started  a  subscription  to  get  his  pastor  an  up-to- 
date  "  cutter  "  of  which  no  one  need  be  ashamed.  It 
is  needless  to  say  that  he  was  successful,  and  there- 
after we  appeared  as  well  as  the  best  of  our  parishion- 
ers whenever  we  drove  through  the  street  or  on  the 
country  roads.  But  the  name  of  one  of  the  wealthiest 
parishioners  (if  anyone  could  be  called  wealthy  where 
all  were  compelled  to  practice  the  strictest  economy) 
was  conspicuous  for  its  absence  from  the  subscription 
paper.  As,  however,  he  was  one  of  my  warmest 
friends  and  admirers  an  explanation  was  necessary  to 


Ten    "Years   in    a    Country   Parish  in 

satisfy  the  people  in  general.  The  explanation  was 
that  my  officious  friend  had  scrupulously  avoided  show- 
ing the  subscription  paper  to  Captain  Barnes,  in  order 
to  cast  odium  upon  him. 

This  brother  was  guilty  of  many  other  things  of  the 
same  character  during  the  ten  years  of  my  stay  in  the 
parish.  For  instance,  he  enticed  me  to  draw  up  a 
lease  between  him  and  an  elderly  lady  for  the  culti- 
vation of  a  garden  spot.  To  save  lawyers'  fees  I  did 
so  to  the  best  of  my  ability,  though  the  amount  in- 
volved was  only  the  increase  from  half  an  acre.  I 
thought  of  everything  I  could  at  the  time;  but  I  did 
not  specifically  define  what  was  to  be  done  writh  the 
currants,  and  included  them  under  "  small  fruit." 
Before  the  season  was  over,  the  church  and  town  were 
thrown  into  convulsions  over  an  arbitration  to  settle 
the  right  of  the  owner  to  allow  a  friend  a  pick  two 
quarts  of  currants  from  the  bushes  in  the  garden. 
Only  on  one  other  occasion  did  I  attempt  to  usurp 
the  functions  of  an  attorney.  One  other  illustration 
of  the  weakness  of  my  friend's  good  resolutions  is  too 
characteristic  to  be  omitted.  Toward  the  close  of  my 
ministry  he  came  to  me  one  morning  as  I  was  starting 
across  the  common  to  church  services,  with  a  written 
confession  which  he  wished  me  to  read,  after  the  cus- 
tom of  former  days,  to  the  whole  church.  It  read, 
"  In  a  controversy  with  Freeman  Farnsworth  yesterday 


1 1 2  Story  of  My  Life 

I  called  him  '  a  miserable  mean  old  hunks,'  and  I 
ought  not  to  have  done  it."  But  he  added  to  me  with 
a  significant  gesture,  "He  was  all  that,  but  I  should 
not  have  called  him  that."  Fortunately,  a  poor  mem- 
ory which  has  afflicted  me  from  my  youth  up,  served 
me  a  good  purpose  that  morning  and  the  confession 
was  not  read.  Meeting  me  as  I  came  down  from  the 
pulpit  my  friend  remarked  that  he  presumed  it  was 
best  to  leave  it  so. 

I  mention  these  facts  which  served  to  lighten  up 
my  ministry,  partly  in  order  to  say  that  through  them 
I  learned  to  recognize  goodness  in  very  untoward  dis- 
guises. I  had  no  more  sincere  and  faithful  friend  in 
all  the  years  of  labor  in  the  parish  than  he.  If  he 
was  weak  in  his  resolutions  he  was  ever  ready  to  con- 
fess his  sins,  and  he  loved  much  because  he  had  much 
forgiven.  As  one  of  my  parishioners  who  was  not  a 
member  of  the  church  used  to  say,  "  It  takes  more  to 
make  some  persons  decent  than  it  does  to  make  others 
saints  of  the  first  water."  Again,  speaking  of  a  num- 
erous family  descended  from  one  of  the  first  settlers 
who  lived  on  the  outskirts  of  the  town  five  miles 
from  church,  but  who  was  always  present  with  his 
children  at  the  Sunday  services,  he  said,  "  It  is  as 
natural  for  a  Perkins  to  be  religious  as  it  is  for  a 
chicken  to  eat  dough."  I  always  doubted  whether 
this  goodness  of  the  Perkins  family  was  due  more  to 


Ten    Years   in    a    Country   Parish  113 

heredity  than  to  the  good  example  of  the  parents,  and 
their  inheritance  of  the  Divine  promise  to  the  fathers 
and  their  children  and  children's  children.  But  cer- 
tainly my  friend  had  a  good  deal  to  contend  against 
on  the  score  of  inheritance.  This  appears  from  a 
story  which  was  current  relating  to  his  father. 

Near  the  beginning  of  the  century  the  Congrega- 
tional churches  of  that  region  were  served  by  a  num- 
ber of  remarkable  men,  who  were  imbued  with  the 
old  idea  that  when  a  pastor  is  settled  over  a  church 
it  is  for  life,  the  relation  being  about  as  permanent 
as  that  of  marriage.  Several  of  these  old  pastors  were 
living  when  I  came  to  my  field,  having  been  in  their 
places  for  fifty  years.  Among  them  are  the  names  of 
Parmelee,  French,  Ranslow,  and  Wooster,  though  the 
latter  had  past  away  some  years  before.  But  remem- 
brances of  "  Father  Wooster  "  were  very  numerous 
and  vivid.  He  was  specially  noted  for  the  part  he 
took  in  leading  a  company  of  his  parishioners  to  rein- 
force our  army  in  the  battle  of  Plattsburgh,  in  1814. 
The  church  had  gathered"  on  Friday  for  their  service 
preparatory  to  communion  on  the  following  Sabbath, 
when  news  came  of  the  impending  battle.  Whereupon 
Father  Wooster  told  his  people  that  it  was  no  time 
now  to  pray,  it  was  a  time  to  put  on  their  armor  and 
fight.  Coming  down  from  the  pulpit  he  forthwith 
invited  volunteers  to  follow  him  to  the  scene  of  con- 


114  Story  of  My  Life 

flict.  All  but  one  present  enlisted.  The  one  whose 
name  did  not  appear  on  the  roll  was  the  father  of  my 
friend.  When  the  meeting  closed  and  Father  Wooster 
went  out  to  the  shed  to  get  his  horse,  this  one  followed 
him  and  said,  "  I  doubt  if  this  is  right."  Whereupon 
Father  Wooster  turned  and  said,  "  He  that  doubteth 
is  damned,"  and  went  on  his  way.  The  company  led 
by  this  doughty  pastor  won  plaudits  from  the  whole 
nation,  and  the  legislature  of  the  State  presented  him 
with  an  elegantly  bound  Bible  in  recognition  of  his 
services.  But  notice  had  to  be  taken  of  his  curt  re- 
mark to  his  dissenting  parishioner.  So  after  the  war 
was  over  the  pastor  was  brought  before  the  church  for 
profanity.  He  was  charged  with  having  substituted 
"  be  "  for  "  is  "  in  the  Biblical  quotation  given.  But 
the  church  sustained  the  pastor. 

The  conditions  made  by  the  decline  of  the  two 
academies,  to  which  reference  has  been  made,  were 
accentuated  by  the  disbandment  of  several  churches  of 
different  denominations  which  had  flourished  for  a 
season,  thus  leaving  a  considerable  number  of  families 
scattered  over  the  town  who  were  not  affiliated  with 
either  of  the  remaining  churches,  and  the  most  of  whom 
regarded  the  village  people  as  aristocratic,  and  lack- 
ing in  cordiality.  The  result  was  that  it  was  difficult 
to  persuade  them  to  join  with  us.  It  was  on  the 


Ten    Years   in    a    Country   Parish  115 

outskirts  of  the  town  that  President  Arthur  was  born, 
his  father  being  pastor  of  a  Baptist  church  that  be- 
came extinct  not  long  before  my  advent  on  the  scene. 
I  soon  learned  that  the  evangelistic  methods  which 
had  been  so  effective  and  successful  in  Brownsville, 
here  must  be  joined  to  more  systematic  and  prolonged 
efforts  in  a  variety  of  directions  in  order  to  produce 
the  desired  results.  Still,  I  wish  to  bear  witness  that 
my  main  dependence  for  producing  the  results  for 
which  the  church  exists,  was  the  preaching  of  the  gos- 
pel; and  in  order  to  do  this  satisfactorily  I  was  com- 
pelled to  begin  anew  the  study  of  the  Bible,  with  all 
the  helps  that  I  could  lay  hold  of. 

Hence,  at  the  outset,  I  began  to  devote  my  fore- 
noons sacredly  to  study.  I  read  the  Bible  through 
in  Hebrew  and  Greek,  consulting  the  most  scholarly 
commentaries  at  my  command.  The  result  was  that 
I  found  that  subjects  for  sermons  never  thronged  into 
my  mind  so  plentifully  as  when  working  over  the 
Hebrew  and  the  Greek  with  the  lexicons  at  my  el- 
bow. But  my  studies  were  not  limited  to  the  Bible. 
I  systematically  reviewed  all  those  I  had  been  over  in 
college,  and  enlarged  greatly  the  circle  of  my  investiga- 
tions. I  partially  made  up  for  not  having  taken  Ger- 
man in  college  by  studying  it  by  myself,  and,  as  already 
said,  I  wrote  out  a  translation  of  Kant's  "  Critique 
of  Pure  Reason,"  and  the  Bremen  Lectures,  and,  like- 


Il6  Story   of  My  Life 

wise,  translations  from  the  Greek  of  several  of  Plato's 
dialogues.  The  works  in  philosophy  occupying  at- 
tention at  that  time  were  those  of  Sir  William  Hamil- 
ton,. John  Stuart  Mill,  and  President  Noah  Porter. 
Careful  study  of  these  works,  together  with  the  scien- 
tific discussions  aroused  by  Darwin's  "  Origin  of  Spe- 
cies "  and  Lyell's  "  Antiquity  of  Man,"  led  me,  toward 
the  close  of  my  pastorate  in  Bakersfield,  to  prepare 
an  article  on  the  "  Ground  of  Confidence  in  Inductive 
Reasoning,"  which  was  published  in  the  New  Eng- 
lander  for  October,  1871.  This,  as  I  afterwards 
learned  from  him,  was  approved  for  publication  by 
President  Porter.  It  received  high  commendation 
from  one  of  the  Scotch  philosophical  periodicals,  and 
was  the  means  of  attracting  to  me  the  attention  of 
Professor  Asa  Gray,  with  whom  an  acquaintance  was 
formed  which  ripened  into  a  lifelong  friendship,  in- 
deed, I  may  say  partnership,  in  which  he  assisted  me 
in  the  preparation  of  the  first  book  which  I  published, 
in  which  I  was  asked  to  discuss  the  relations  of  the- 
ology to  current  speculations  concerning  the  origin  of 
species.  He,  in  turn,  sought  my  aid  in  the  preparation 
of  various  of  his  publications  having  the  same  end  in 
view,  especially  in  the  last  chapter  of  his  "  Darwin- 
iana." 

But  I   can  confidently  say  that  I   did   not   neglect 
my  pastoral  work,  or  any  of  the  natural  responsibilities 


Ten    Years   in    a   Country   Parish  117 

of  my  position.  I  carefully  wrote  out  about  thirty 
sermons  each  year.  I  held  meetings  in  the  school- 
houses  in  all  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  and  cultivated 
the  acquaintance  of  all  the  unconnected  families  that 
might  properly  be  reckoned  as  belonging  to  my  parish. 
I  sunk  tons  of  enthusiasm  in  helping  to  keep  the  tem- 
perance sentiment  of  the  County  up  to  such  a  pitch  as 
to  secure  the  enforcement  of  the  State  prohibitory  law. 
I  joined  heartily  in  promoting  the  musical  conventions 
which  were  held  in  different  parts  of  the  County,  to 
which  we  drew  the  best  talent  for  conductors,  and  for 
soloists  to  sing  the  parts  too  difficult  for  our  local 
talent,  which,  by  the  way,  was  by  no  means  of  a  low 
order.  I  was  for  several  years  town  superintendent 
of  schools.  I  organized  a  farmers'  club,  and  taught 
them  the  use  of  superphosphates,  and  the  advantages 
of  soiling  their  stock.  I  organized  a  band  of  hope 
among  the  young  people.  How  successful  all  these 
endeavors  were  it  is  not  for  me  to  say,  but  I  shall 
certainly  be  rewarded  if  the  will  is  taken  for  the  deed. 
I  fear  my  success  in  stock  breeding  was  not  of  the 
first  order,  since  the  highest  praise  I  got  was  from 
the  Irish  boy  who  drove  my  cow  to  pasture.  One 
night  he  forgot  to  bring  her  home,  but  he  came  up 
smiling  the  next  day  with  the  exclamation  that  my 
cow  "  was  bully.  She  was  the  best  in  the  pasture. 
She  could  '  lick  '  every  one  of  the  lot."  Among  other 


Il8  Story  of  My  Life 

things  I  secured  the  building  of  a  parsonage,  hauling 
much  of  the  lumber  myself.  I  started  to  do  the  inside 
painting,  having  obtained  the  paint  as  a  special  con- 
tribution. But  I  was  making  such  a  botch  of  it  that 
two  of  my  elderly  parishioners  who  were  used  to 
painting  woodwork  came  in  and  forcibly  took  the 
brush  from  my  hands,  and  finished  the  job  in  good 
style. 

After  years  of  patient  effort  I  had  the  satisfaction 
of  seeing  the  social  prejudice  entertained  by  many 
families  in  the  outskirts  of  the  town  break  down,  and 
them  come  to  be  among  the  most  efficient  helpers  in 
the  church.  So  far  as  I  can  sum  up  results  they  were 
greater  in  that  small  parish  than  they  have  been  in  the 
larger,  and  apparently  more  important,  fields  which  I 
have  since  occupied.  F.  B.  Denio,  who  has  long  filled 
with  credit  the  chair  of  Old  Testament  Literature  in 
Bangor  Theological  Seminary,  was  the  first  fruits  oi 
my  ministry,  and  I  was  responsible  for  getting  him 
ready  for  college.  Several  others  became  ministers 
either  in  the  Congregational  or  the  Methodist 
churches.  Among  them  was  Fernando  C.  Willett, 
one  of  the  most  brilliant  young  men  I  ever  knew,  but 
who,  on  graduating  from  Lane  Seminary,  developed 
tendencies  to  tuberculosis,  which  led  him  in  search  of 
health  to  go  to  Mexico  as  private  secretary  of  the  emi- 
nent diplomat,  John  W.  Foster,  at  that  time  minister 


Ten    Years   In    a    Country   Parish  119 

to  the  Mexican  Republic.  Another  was  George  W. 
Scott,  who,  after  many  years'  successful  service,  died 
in  his  pulpit  as  he  was  beginning  the  service,  several 
years  ago.  Waldo  Worthing  became  a  Methodist 
minister,  as  did  George  Frederick  Wells,  so  prominent 
at  the  present  time  in  promoting  the  union  of  small 
churches  in  country  parishes.  Though  born  soon  after 
my  leaving  Bakersfield,  he  was  named  after  me  by 
his  parents  in  grateful  remembrance  of  my  instru- 
mentality in  leading  them  into  the  Christian  life  and 
into  the  church.  Among  other  indications  of  the 
latent  cultivation  of  my  parishioners  was,  that  among 
the  various  clubs  which  the  women  organized  there 
was  one  for  the  study  of  Plato,  which  they  did  to  good 
effect  through  Jowett's  translation,  which  I  purchased 
for  them. 

Shortly  before  I  left,  and  partly  through  my  influ- 
ence, the  Academy  was  revived,  and  soon  after  largely 
endowed  by  members  of  the  Brigham  family.  Brig- 
ham  Academy  is  now  one  of  the  principal  preparatory 
schools  of  the  State. 

I  cannot  say  that  it  was  smooth  sailing  all  those  ten 
years.  I  made  some  phenomenal  mistakes.  But  they 
were  in  days  of  ignorance  at  which  the  Lord  evidently 
winked.  On  one  occasion  I  innocently  offended  a 
number  of  large  and  influential  families  in  the  church 


120  Story  of  My  Life 

and  town  by  choosing  an  unfortunate  text  for  a  fu- 
neral sermon.  An  aged  member  of  the  church  who  was 
reputed  to  be  one  of  the  most  wealthy,  suddenly  died 
while  I  was  absent,  but  I  returned  just  in  time  to 
preach  the  sermon  at  his  funeral.  It  was  known  that 
he  had  recently  asked  me  to  write  his  will ;  but  I  had 
no  suspicion  that  this  had  aroused  any  special  interest. 
It  appeared,  however,  that  there  were  strong  suspicions 
that  he  had  not  made  such  a  will  as  his  large  number 
of  relatives  would  approve ;  and  they  were  all  gathered 
with  a  determination  to  break  it.  The  deceased  was  a 
warm  friend  of  mine,  but  he  was  very  severely  and,  as 
I  believed,  unjustly  criticised  by  outside  parties  for  some 
of  his  business  transactions.  I  therefore  conceived  the 
idea  of  making  my  sermon  an  indirect  defense  of  his  real 
character,  and  tried  to  show  that  few  of  us  accomplished 
the  good  which  we  really  aimed  to  do ;  that  none  of  us 
came  up  to  the  ideal  which  as  followers  of  Christ  we 
attempted  to  attain;  but  that  the  Lord,  who  sees  the 
heart,  takes  cognizance  only  of  the  aims  which  we 
cherish,  and  will  reward  us  solely  for  our  faithfulness. 
Unhappily  I  chose  for  my  text  a  part  of  the  eighteenth 
verse  of  the  seventh  chapter  of  Romans  which  reads, 
"  For  to  will  is  present  with  me;  but  how  to  perform 
that  which  is  good  I  find  not."  The  relatives  heard 
nothing  beyond  the  text,  and  as  soon  as  the  burial  was 
over  proceeded  to  raise  such  a  commotion  that  it  al- 


Ten    Years   in   a    Country   Parish  121 

most  seemed  that  it  would  be  necessary  for  me  to  leave 
town  at  once.  But  time  gradually  softened  their 
feelings  and  in  after  years  I  had  no  firmer  friends  than 
they  were.  Months  afterwards,  however,  I  had  to 
spend  considerable  time  and  skill  in  convincing  one  of 
the  most  prominent  of  them  that  I  did  not  mean  to 
"  hit  them  in  the  text." 

It  is  proper  that  I  should  say  a  word  about  my 
associates  in  the  ministry.  Nearly  all  the  Congrega- 
tional churches  of  the  county  were  small,  but  they  all 
paid  larger  salaries  than  that  which  I  received.  These 
churches  were  served  by  a  noble  and  highly  educated 
ministry  with  which  it  was  a  great  privilege  to  be  as- 
sociated. We  assisted  each  other  in  many  ways,  in 
the  winter  season  holding  what  were  called  "circular 
conferences,"  in  which  we  went  in  considerable  num- 
bers to  each  other's  parishes  and  held  meetings  for  two 
or  three  days  during  the  middle  of  the  week.  Thus 
we  all  became  well  acquainted  with  each  other  and 
with  our  various  parishes.  Sometimes  I  would  drive 
off  through  the  snow  forty  miles  in  the  winter  to  at- 
tend such  meetings.  The  ministers  were  nearly  all 
graduates  of  college  and  of  a  theological  seminary,  and 
made  Hebrew  and  Greek  the  basis  of  their  inter- 
pretation of  Scripture.  Their  society  was  a  constant 
stimulus.  I  could  not  but  be  somewhat  flattered  when 


122  Story  of  My  Life 

at  one  time  with  Mrs.  Wright  I  was  compelled  by  a 
snowstorm  on  a  forty-mile  drive  in  the  winter  to  turn 
in  to  the  hospitable  parsonage  of  Father  Dougherty 
(on  whom  Vermont  University  conferred  the  degree 
of  D.  D.)  and  seek  shelter,  to  have  him  give  thanks, 
saying  that  the  best  culture  his  family  received  was 
by  contact  with  the  clergymen  and  their  families  whom 
he  was  permitted  to  entertain. 

In  the  end  the  smallness  of  my  salary  proved  a  bless- 
ing to  me,  and  I  hope  to  the  world.  We  lived  com- 
fortably, notwithstanding  war  prices.  Gold  went  up 
to  285  premium,  and  calico  cloth  accordingly,  plain 
prints  selling  at  fifty  cents  a  yard.  But  we  com- 
menced housekeeping  with  a  good  supply  of  sheets 
and  clothing,  which  lasted  until  prices  began  to 
come  down.  Besides,  I  made  one  speculative  venture 
that  netted  me  something.  I  bought  a  kitchen  stove 
for  seven  and  a  half  dollars  when  we  began  house- 
keeping. Three  years  later  when  I  wanted  to  get  a 
"  Stewart  stove  "  at  the  discount  which  the  inventor 
offered  to  ministers,  I  sold  the  kitchen  stove  which 
had  been  in  constant  use  all  the  time  since  it  was 
purchased,  and  received  eleven  dollars  and  a  half  for 
it.  This  was  the  only  profitable  speculative  venture 
I  ever  made.  Besides,  my  salary  was  raised  at  last  to 
five  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  but  was  never  fully 
collected.  I  was  like  one  of  my  neighboring  pastors 


Ten    Years   in   a    Country   Parish  123 

who  begged  his  people  not  to  raise  his  salary  again,  he 
had  so  much  trouble  in  collecting  the  smaller  amount. 
The  real  advantage  of  my  smaller  salary  was  that  I 
had  to  make  a  virtue  of  necessity  and  dispense  with 
expensive  vacations,  and  get  my  recreation  in  studying 
the  topography  and  geology  of  the  interesting  region 
in  the  vicinity.  With  my  horse  I  drove  extensively 
over  the  Green  Mountains  and  into  the  French  set- 
tlements in  the  broad  plain  of  the  lower  St.  Law- 
rence River  in  Quebec.  I  also  toured  afoot  with  com- 
panions the  region  of  the  Adirondacks,  on  the  western 
side  of  Lake  Champlain.  The  result  was  that  I  be- 
came something  of  a  local  authority  on  the  glacial 
deposits  of  a  most  interesting  region.  If  I  had  only 
known  as  much  about  the  subject  then  as  later  study 
has  brought  to  light  it  would  have,  added  immensely 
to  the  joy  of  those  years.  But  that  was  impossible  at 
that  time.  It  is  in  place  here,  however,  to  anticipate 
and  tell  what  I  see  there  now  in  light  of  later  investi- 
gations. 

Bakersfield  village  is  built  on  a  beautiful  level- 
topped  sand  deposit  six  hundred  feet  above  the  sea, 
covering  about  a  square  mile.  This  breaks  off  abruptly 
on  both  sides,  and  wells  a  hundred  feet  deep  do  not 
reach  the  bottom  of  the  deposit.  (Similar  plains  I 
had  been  familiar  with  in  my  boyhood  near  the  south 


124  Story   of  My  Life 

end  of  Lake  Champlain  in  Castleton,  Fairhaven,  and 
Westhaven,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Lake.)  There  was 
also  an  adjoining  area  about  as  large  which  was  dotted 
over  with  "  kettle  holes,"  and  running  into  it  from  the 
north  a  well-defined  "  esker "  a  mile  or  more  in 
length.  All  this  was  a  mystery  to  me  and  to  all 
geologists  at  that  time,  hut  as  interpreted  by  investiga- 
tions which  I  afterwards  set  in  motion  in  my  next 
parish,1  had  significance  as  follows: 

The  glacial  ice  which  came  down  from  Labrador, 
on  crossing  the  St.  Lawrence  Valley,  was  for  a  time 
obstructed  by  the  mountains  of  northern  Vermont  and 
by  the  Adirondacks  in  New  York,  and  pressed  down 
through  the  valley  of  Lake  Champlain  in  a  great  glacial 
tongue,  fifty  or  sixty  miles  wide.  Finally,  however, 
it  overflowed,  and  extended  as  far  south  as  New  York 
City,  having  a  depth  of  more  than  one  mile  over  the 
northern  part  of  New  England,  thus  covering  the 
highest  mountains  of  that  region.  But  so  far  all  this 
had  nothing  to  do  with  the  gravel  terraces  at  Rakers- 
field,  which  belong  to  the  closing  stages  of  the  period. 

In  the  light  of  our  present  knowledge  of  the  prog-  . 
ress  of  events  during  the  recession  of  the  continental 
glacier,  we  interpret  the  facts  as  follows.  The  re- 
treat of  the  ice  was  accompanied  both  by  the  with- 
drawal of  the  southern  front,  and  by  the  lowering  of 
the  surface  by  melting.  Thus  the  mountain  tops 


Ten    Years   in   a   Country    Parish  125 

would  at  length  reappear  above  the  glacial  tongue 
which  filled  the  Champlain  Valley.  One  result  of 
this  would  be  that  the  reflected  heat  of  the  sunshine 
from  the  mountain  sides  would  make  the  ice  lower 
at  the  margins  than  in  the  middle,  so  that  there  would 
be  established  lines  of  drainage  along  the  sides,  with 
the  ice  maintaining  the  level  on  one  side  of  the  stream 
and  the  mountain  on  the  other.  Marginal  lakes  would 
likewise  be  formed  at  these  levels  on  the  serrated  flanks 
of  the  mountains.  And  such  are  found  on  the  flanks 
of  the  Green  Mountains  up  to  a  level  of  one  thousand 
feet  or  more.  At  the  time  when  I  became  familiar 
with  these  gravel  terraces  it  was  generally  supposed 
that  they  indicated  a  former  submergence  to  that  ex- 
tent below  the  ocean,  and  hence  were  called  "  marine 
terraces."  If  I  had  only  known  their  proper  explana- 
tion during  those  first  ten  years  of  my  ministerial 
labor  it  would  have  lent  a  wonderful  charm  to  the 
recreation  of  vacations  and  blue  Mondays,  and  would 
have  afforded  me  abundant  material  to  interest  the 
members  of  my  parish  both  young  and  old. 

It  is  thought  of  this,  largely,  that  moves  me  to 
write  these  simple  annals  of  my  life.  The  mental 
picture  which  now  comes  up  to  my  mind  of  the  slow 
but  majestic  advance  of  this  mighty  engine  of  erosion 
as  it  filled  the  St.  Lawrence  Valley,  projected  itself 
southward  between  -the  Green  Mountains  and  the 


126  Story  of  My  Life 

Adirondacks,  and  finally  overwhelmed  their  summits 
(leaving  bowlders  on  the  top  of  Mt.  Washington 
more  than  a  mile  above  sea  level),  until  it  reached 
Staten  Island  beyond  New  York  City,  piling  up  im- 
mense moraines  there  and  on  Long  Island  out  of  the 
debris  which  it  had  gathered  in  its  course — this  picture 
is  equalled  only  by  that  of  the  glacial  lakes,  streams, 
and  deltas  which  marked  its  retreat  and  decline.  The 
sandy  plain  about  Saratoga  where  Burgoyne  struggled 
amid  innumerable  ravines  which  small  streams  had 
worn  in  it,  similar  plains  about  my  early  home  in 
Fairhaven,  Castleton,  and  Rutland,  and  innumerable 
others  with  which  I  became  familiar,  all  along  the 
western  flank  of  the  Green  Mountains,  and  which  so 
often  served  for  beautiful  village  sites,  are  all  now 
seen  to  be  the  products  of  this  slow-moving,  com- 
plicated, but  most  majestic  cause.  The  interpretation 
of  such  natural  phenomena  by  teachers  and  pastors  to 
their  pupils  and  parishioners  should  be  regarded  as  a 
bounden  duty. 


Ten  Years  at  Andover  127 


CHAPTER    IV 

TEN  YE.ARS  AT  ANDOVER 

PROVIDENCE  played  a  principal  part  in  my  removal 
to  another  field  of  labor.  Friends  had  often  spoken 
to  me  of  vacant  parishes  which  seemed  to  offer  wider 
opportunities  than  those  in  Bakersfield,  together  with 
a  larger  salary.  And  now  as  I  was  entering  on  the 
tenth  year  of  my  ministry  I  began  to  consider  such 
openings.  In  the  spring  of  1872  an  invitation  came 
from  a  parish  in  Michigan  which  I  had  conditionally 
promised  to  accept.  But  meanwhile  I  was  invited 
by  one  of  my  warmest  personal  friends  (Rev.  Edwin 
S.  Williams)  to  preach  one  Sunday  for  him  in  his 
pulpit  in  Andover,  Massachusetts.  On  responding  to 
his  request  I  found,  when  on  the  ground,  that  my 
friend  was  soon  to  leave  the  parish  for  another  field 
and  wished  to  get  me  before  them  as  a  candidate  to 
succeed  him,  so  that  there  might  not  be  any  inter- 
regnum. The  result  was  that  a  call  came  from  the 
church  almost  immediately.  Delay  in  the  mails  caused 
by  a  terrible  snowstorm  prevented  th".  Michigan  call 
from  reaching  me  till  after  I  had  accepted  that 
from  Andover.  On  this  hung  all  my  future  career. 
I  went  to  Andover  instead  of  to  Michigan,  and  was 


128  Story  of  My  Life 

at  once  plunged  into  the  midst  of  theological  and 
scientific  discussions  that  have  given  character  to  all 
my  subsequent  labors  and  investigations. 

The  Free  Church  in  Andover  to  which  I  came  was 
in  most  respects  an  ideal  field.  It  had  in  it  the  rich 
manufacturing  families  of  the  town  who  were  as  de- 
voted to  the  welfare  of  the  church  and  society  as  they 
were  to  their  business.  Some  members  of  these  fam- 
ilies were  Harvard  College  graduates,  among  them 
a  young  retired  Congregational  clergyman,  Rev. 
Francis  Howe  Johnson,  one  of  the  profoundest  think- 
ers on  the  ultimate  facts  of  Theism,  and  author  of 
two  volumes  ("What  is  Reality?"  and  "God  in 
Evolution:  A  Pragmatic  Study  of  Theology"),  de- 
serving of  the  attention  of  all  scholars.  His  friendship 
and  advice  played  a  very  important  part  in  furthering 
and  directing  my  investigations  and  study  during  my 
eventful  years  in  Andover.  Nearly  half  of  the  con- 
gregation were  Scotch  wrorkmen  skilled  in  the  manu- 
facture of  flax  threads;  while  a  third  Were  from 
old-time  New  England  families  living  both  in  the 
village  and  on  the  farms  surrounding  it.  The  inmates 
of  the  poorhouse  also  belonged  to  the  parish  and  al- 
ways formed  a  part  of  the  congregation.  For  nearly 
ten  years  the  gospel  as  I  preached  it  seemed  to  satisfy 
all  these  classes  equally  well,  and  the  church  continued 
to  thrive  and  increase,  and  ever  since  has  been  a  grow- 


Ten  Years  at  Andover  129 

ing  power  in  the  community,  thus  demonstrating  that 
the  gospel  is  addressed  to  the  "  common  man  "  and 
not  to  the  classes  into  which  society  is  divided. 

My  wealthy  parishioners  consisted  of  members  of 
the  Smith  &  Dove  Manufacturing  Company.  The 
success  of  this  company  and  the  relation  of  its  mem- 
bers to  their  working  people  and  to  the  community 
in  general,  have  served  to  form,  to  a  large  degree,  my 
views  concerning  the  relations  of  capital  to  labor.  Mr. 
John  Smith,  the  senior  partner,  came  from  Scotland 
in  1816,  getting  employment  as  a  journeyman  machin- 
ist in  Medway,  Massachusetts.  In  1824  he  came  to 
Andover  and  in  company  with  one  or  two  others  set 
up  a  manufactory  for  cotton  machinery.  Meantime 
his  brother«Peter  had  joined  him  in  1822,  and  in  1833 
they  persuaded  a  young  countryman  of  inventive 
genius,  who  had  just  come  to  America,  to  join  them 
in  their  work.  This  was  John  Dove.  The  three  di- 
rected their  energies  to  the  manufacture  of  flax  yarns, 
including  shoe  thread,  then  coming  more  and  more 
into  demand.  Gradually  their  products  attained  such 
a  reputation  that  they  could  dispense  with  selling 
agents,  since  orders  came  to  them  direct  from  those 
who  had  learned  to  trust  their  honor  and  skill  in  pro- 
ducing goods  that  were  in  demand.  Thus  it  was 
difficult  for  them  to  avoid  becoming  rich,  as  new  com- 


130  Story   of  My  Life 

peting  firms  could  with  difficulty  earn  the  confidence 
that  belonged  to  the  good  name  of  the  Smith  &  Dove 
Manufacturing  Company.  During  my  pastorate  the 
company  annually  consumed  2,000,000  pounds  of  flax 
and  flax  tow,  importing  much  of  it  from  Archangel, 
the  freight  from  there  to  Boston  being  somewhat  less 
than  from  Buffalo  to  Boston.  They  employed  about 
three  hundred  operatives,  with  whom  their  relations 
were  most  cordial.  Especially  do  I  remember  the 
genial  cordiality  of  Mr.  Joseph  W.  Smith,  who  suc- 
ceeded his  father,  and  who,  though  not  born  in  Scot- 
land, preserved  the  flavor  of  Scotch  humor  even  better 
than  those  who  were  native  born.  The  members  of 
these  families  were  always  present  at  the  church  serv- 
ices and  identified  themselves  with  all  the  interests  of 
the  town.  Now  for  seventy-five  years  this  firm  has 
continued  business  through  all  the  fluctuations  of  the 
market  without  failure,  or  interruption,  giving  con- 
tinuous employment  to  a  large  number  of  workmen, 
from  whose  families  have  gone  forth  most  worthy 
and  successful  members  into  all  ranks  of  society.  It 
fs  difficult  to  see  how  any  better  results  could  have 
been  produced  through  any  system  of  communism  that 
interfered  with  the  rights  of  private  property  and 
chilled  the  ardor  of  private  enterprise. 

At   that  time   the   Andover  Theological   Seminary 
still  maintained  its  preeminence  among  the  theological 


Ten  Years  at  Andover  131 

forces  that  had  dominated  the  country  for  three-quar- 
ters of  a  century.  Edwards  A.  Park,  the  prince  of 
American  theologians  and  preachers,  was  then  in  his 
prime.  Austin  Phelps,  the  prince  of  homiletical  teach- 
ers, was  at  his-post,  and  his  daughter,  Elizabeth  Stuart 
Phelps,  was  just  beginning  her  remarkable  literary 
career,  injecting  her  keen  criticisms  of  the  current 
theology  into  the  popular  literature  of  the  time.  John 
Henry  Thayer  was  hard  at  work  on  his  grammar  and 
lexicon  of  the  New  Testament.  Charles  M.  Mead 
was  concentrating  his  metaphysical  mind  upon  the 
problems  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  preparing  him- 
self to  answer  the  destructive  critics  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment by  issuing,  in  both  English  and  German  under 
the  pseudonym  of  MacRealsham,  a  documentary  the- 
ory of  the  origin  of  the  book  of  Romans  which  was 
as  convincing  as  the  theory  of  the  higher  critics  that  the 
Pentateuch  was  a  combination  of  unconnected  docu 
ments,  put  together  by  skillful  editors  long  after  the  oc- 
currence of  the  events.  Wesley  Churchill  was  charming 
the  world  with  his  dramatic  readings,  and  Selah  Merrill 
was  well  along  in  his  preparation  for  his  work  in  As- 
syriology  and  Biblical  Archaeology.  In  the  Andover 
Association  of  Congregational  ministers,  as  in  that  of 
Franklin  County,  Vermont,  I  enjoyed  the  privilege  of 
consorting  with  a  highly  educated  body  of  men.  The 
study  of  the  Hebrew  Bible  was  carried  on  continuously, 


132  Story  of  My  Life 

resulting  among  other  things  in  a  valuable  commentary 
on  the  book  of  Esther.  The  names  of  Street,  Baker, 
Greene,  Coit,  Charles  Smith,  W.  E.  Park,  Haley, 
J.  H.  Barrows,  Munger,  and  J.  H.  Merrill  are  among 
those  whose  stimulus  to  study  was  inspiring.  The 
Bibliotheca  Sacra,  under  the  editorship  of  Professor 
Park  had  for  thirty  years  been  the  main  scholarly 
expounder  of  the  New  England  theology,  and  was  the 
representative  of  the  two  thousand  living  Andover 
graduates  scattered  all  over  the  world.  But  the  in- 
fluence of  Darwinism,  and  of  the  so-called  liberalizing 
tendencies  of  the  time,  was  pressing  for  attention,  and 
naturally  I  was  soon  drawn  into  the  vortex  of  discus- 
sion, a  vortex  from  which  I  have  not  yet  emerged. 

Before  going  to  Andover  my  glacial  studies  had  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  Professor  Charles  Hitchcock, 
then  of  Dartmouth  College,  and  he  had  been  in  cor- 
respondence with  me  concerning  the  glacial  phenomena 
of  northern  Vermont.  Knowledge  of  my  interest  in 
geological  matters  had  preceded  me.  But  I  was 
commiserated  by  one  of  the  older  ministers  on  having 
come  to  a  region  which  had  nothing  in  it  of  general 
geological  interest.  It  soon  developed,  however,  that 
I  had  been  put  down  where  one  of  the  most  important 
and  interesting  problems  in  glacial  geology  presented 
itself  at  the  very  back  door  of  the  Free  Church  par- 


Ten  Years  at  And  over  133 

sonage.  This  problem  pertained  to  the  remarkable 
congeries  of  gravel  ridges  locally  known  as  Indian 
Ridge.  A  paper  on  this  ridge  had  been  presented  by 
President  Hitchcock,  father  of  Professor  Charles 
Hitchcock,  to  the  American  Association  of  Geologists 
and  Naturalists  in  1842.  This  paper  was  substantially 
reproduced  in  the  Geology  published  by  President 
Hitchcock  and  studied  by  our  class  in  college.  It 
turned  out  that  this  was  the  only  geological  problem 
of  importance  that  I  could  have  attacked  with  any 
probability  of  finding  a  satisfactory  original  solution. 
On  writing  to  Professor  Hitchcock  about  it,  he  ex- 
pressed gratification  that  it  was  being  studied  anew; 
but  he  believed  the  ridge  to  be  of  marine  origin,  as 
his  father  and  more  lately  James  Geikie,  writing  of 
similar  ridges  in  Scotland  and  Ireland,  had  supposed. 
Observations  carried  on  chiefly  on  "  blue  Mondays," 
soon  showed  that  this  explanation  did  not  cover  all 
the  facts.  So  I  kept  on  for  three  years  until  a  new 
theory  was  established  to  my  own  satisfaction,  and 
I  was  ready  to  bring  it  before  the  public.  In 
all  this  I  had  the  backing  of  my  highly  educated  parish- 
ioners, especially  of  Mr.  George  W.  W.  Dove,  who 
contributed  his  skill  as  a  draughtsman  in  putting  my 
paper  into  more  intelligible  form  than  I  could  have 
done  myself. 

The   theory,   which   has   since  been   universally  ac- 


134  Story  of  My  Life 

cepted,  connects  the  ridges  with  the  closing  stages  of 
the  great  Ice  age,  when  the  surface  of  the  continental 
ice  sheet  had  been  lowered,  by  melting,  to  near  the 
land  surface,  leaving  much  stagnant  ice  in  the  hol- 
lows and  depressions,  partially  to  determine  the  course 
of  the  superabundant  drainage  waters  flowing  off  to- 
ward the  sea.  In  the  process  of  this  long-continued 
melting  of  the  ice  surface,  the  gravel  incorporated  into 
the  moving  mass  accumulated  in  large  quantities  on 
the  surface,  and  was  consequently  swept  into  the  chan- 
nels in  the  ice  and  under  it  by  the  floods  which  were 
seeking  egress.  Thus  the  ridges  would  be  somewhat 
independent  of  the  lines  of  drainage  as  determined  by 
the  land  surface  alone,  and  might  undulate  over  small 
elevations  and  depressions.  After  having  traced  this 
ridge  over  the  undulating  country  from  Boston  up 
into  New  Hampshire  for  a  total  distance  of  thirty  or 
forty  miles,  I  was  ready  to  present  my  theory  to  the 
scientific  public.  This  was  first  done  before  the  Es- 
sex Institute  of  Salem,  Massachusetts,  one  of  the  most 
venerable  and  cultivated  scientific  associations  of  the 
country.  This  was  in  1875,  and  the  report  may  be 
found  in  the  minutes  of  the  Association  for  that  year. 
My  theory  received  almost  immediate  confirmation  in 
what  is  thought  to  be  the  best  proof  of  a  supposition 
dealing  with  physical  forces.  For  on  that  occasvon  I 
ventured  to  prophesy  by  it.  I  said  that  if  it  was 


Ten  Years  at  Andover  135 

true  there  should  be  a  parallel  line  of  gravel  ridges 
presenting  corresponding  phenomena,  running  north- 
ward from  the  vicinity  of  Salem  into  New  Hampshire, 
and  asked  for  information  of  such  ridges.  Within 
two  weeks  such  a  parallel  line  of  ridges  was  established 
for  a  distance  of  fifty  or  sixty  miles,  and  I  was  able 
at  once  to  examine  it  at  various  points. 

Thus  encouraged,  I  was  invited  to  present  a  more 
formal  paper  on  the  subject  before  the  Boston  Society 
of  Natural  History,  which  was  composed  of  the  most 
eminent  scientific  authorities  of  Boston  and  Cambridge. 
The  paper  was  at  once  accepted  for  publication  in  the 
proceedings  of  the  Society,  under  the  title  "  Some 
Remarkable  Gravel  Ridges  in  the  Merrimack  Valley." 
This  appeared  in  the  volume  for  1876. 

My  paper  was  brought  to  the  attention  of  scientific 
men  in  an  unexpected  and  interesting  way,  by  a  chance 
meeting  with  Clarence  King,  just  back  from  his  geo- 
logical survey  of  the  fortieth  parallel.  I  was  on  the 
way  with  Mr.  George  Dove  to  visit  in  South  Carolina 
the  phosphate  mines  of  the  company  to  which  he  be- 
longed, and  when  passing  through  New  York  City 
dropped  into  their  office  there,  just  as  Mr.  King  came 
in,  and  was  introduced  to  him.  The  proof  of  my 
paper  had  been  given  me  as  I  was  leaving  home,  so 
that  I  had  it  with  me.  On  speaking  to  Mr.  King 
about  it  he  requested  to  see  it,  and  on  looking  it 


136  Story  of  My  Life 

over  said  at  once  that  my  explanation  was  correct,  and 
that  as  soon  as  he  returned  to  his  room  he  would  write 
out  for  me,  to  incorporate  in  the  paper,  observations 
which  he  had  recently  made  in  the  Cascade  Mountains 
of  California,  which  completely  confirmed  my  theory. 
At  the  same  time  he  told  me  of  his  discovery  but  a 
short  time  before  of  the  great  terminal  moraine  south 
of  the  Massachusetts  coast,  which  Dana  and  Lesley 
had  recently  said  did  not  exist.  But  he  said  there 
could  be  no  doubt  that  the  Elizabeth  Islands  south- 
west of  Woods  Holl  were  part  of  a  genuine  terminal 
moraine;  and  in  the  communication  which  he  wrote 
out  for  me  to  incorporate  in  my  paper  all  these  facts 
were  stated,  thus  giving  me  an  initial  endorsement: 
which  at  once  brought  my  work  to  the  notice  of 
glacial  geologists  the  world  over.  But  for  this  there 
is  no  knowing  whether  my  paper  would  have  attracted 
much  attention. 

Very  early  in  my  stay  in  Andover  Professor  Park 
associated  me  with  him  in  the  preparation  of  articles 
for  the  Bibliotheca  Sacra.  The  first  work  he  re- 
quested me  to  undertake  was  to  show  how  Infant 
Baptism  could  be  made  in  practice  to  consist  with  the 
Congregational  principle  of  a  "  regenerate  church 
membership."  This  discussion  was  made  incumbent 
by  various  challenges  of  distinguished  Baptists,  calling 


Ten  Years  at  Andover  137 

attention  to  the  apparent  inconsistency  of  applying  a 
rite  to  persons  in  anticipation  of  their  having  the  char- 
acter which  the  rite  assumed  them  to  have.  The  task 
was  a  difficult  one,  and  I  fear  my  efforts  were  not 
productive  in  changing  the  opinion  of  our  opponents. 
But  I  have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  in  the  two 
articles  which  I  prepared  the  discussion  was  carried 
on  in  a  courteous  spirit,  and  that  I  did  not  belittle 
the  arguments  by  which  the  Baptists  defend  their  prac- 
tice of  close  communion,  and  their  neglect  of  infant 
baptism.  For  the  ordinances  are  but  means  to  an  end, 
and  where  the  end  is  of  transcendent  importance  we 
may  be  allowed  to  differ  with  respect  to  the  means 
which  contribute  to  that  end. 

Then  Professor  Park  wished  me  to  prepare  a  series 
of  articles  stating  the  arguments  for  and  against  Dar- 
winism, and  showing  the  bearing  of  that  theory  upon 
the  doctrine  of  design  in  nature,  and  upon  theological 
opinions  in  general.  Fortunately  my  readiness  to  un- 
dertake this  work  was  greatly  facilitated  by  the  friend- 
ship, to  which  I  have  already  referred,  of  Professor 
Asa  Gray,  who  in  addition  to  his  regular  work  in 
botany  had  been  foremost  in  contending  that  the  doc- 
trine of  design  in  nature  was  not  at  all  endangered 
by  Darwinism,  and  who,  as  already  remarked,  after 
reading  my  article  in  the  New  Englander,  on  the 
"  Ground  of  Confidence  in  Inductive  Reasoning,"  had 


138  Story  of  My  Life 

requested  my  acquaintance.  This  I  cheerfully  granted, 
and  he  became  from  that  time  like  a  father  to  me  in 
the  work  in  which  I  was  engaged.  It  was  enough 
for  me  that  these  articles  on  Darwinism  in  the 
Bibliotheca  Sacra  met  his  approval,  and  were  in- 
debted to  him  for  much  of  their  form  of  statement. 
It  was  gratifying,  also,  to  have  a  letter  from  Darwin, 
written  in  his  own  hand,  in  which  he  said  that  the 
statement  of  his  theory  "  was  powerfully  written  and 
most  clear,"  and  requested  me  to  send  him  the  follow- 
ing article  in  which  objections  were  to  be  presented. 
These  articles  maintained  what  has  been  more  and 
more  evident  as  attention  has  been  given  to  the  subject, 
that  the  observed  variations  in  both  plants  and  ani- 
mals are  much  greater  than  Darwin  had  supposed,  and 
that  so  many  correlated  variations  had  to  take  place 
at  once  to  make  any  one  variation  an  advantage,  that 
nothing  less  than  design  either  wrought  into  the  or- 
iginal plan,  or  added  by  way  of  increment,  could  ac- 
count for  the  facts.  From  the  theological  side  it  was 
maintained  that  Calvinism  and  Darwinism  had  so 
many  points  in  common  that  theologians  could  not 
consistently  cast  stones  at  the  men  of  science  favoring 
a  scheme  in  which  "  predestination  and  foreordina- 
tion  "  were  salient  features.  In  fact,  from  a  philoso- 
phical point  of  view,  Darwinism  has  all  the  unlovely 
characteristics  of  hyper-Calvinism  without  any  of  the 


Ten  Years  at  Andover  139 

redeeming  remedial  features  inherent  in  the  Calvin- 
istic  system.  Pure  Darwinism  leaves  no  place  for  the 
gospel.  These  essays  were  subsequently  republished 
in  a  volume,  together  with  the  essay  on  the  "  Ground 
of  Confidence  in  Inductive  Reasoning,"  and  an  essay 
on  "  The  Antiquity  of  Man,"  dealing  especially  with 
the  evidence  of  glacial  man  in  America,  also  an  essay 
on  "  The  Relation  of  the  Bible  to  Science."  From  a 
copy  owned  by  Henry  Ward  Beecher,  which  has  fal- 
len into  my  hands,  I  have  found  from  his  annotations 
that  he  had  read  the  book  carefully,  and  been  duly 
influenced  by  it.1 

My  scientific  associations  during  all  the  period  of 
my  stay  in  Andover  were  of  the  greatest  value  to  me. 
The  leading  men  of  science  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston 
were  connected  with  the  Boston  Society  of  Natural 
History,  and  I  was  honored  by  being  made  for  some 
years  one  of  its  directors.  Among  the  distinguished 
men  of  science  with  whom  I  was  associated  in  the 
Boston  Society  of  Natural  History,  and  who  gave  me 
aid  and  inspiration,  were  the  following:  Alexander 
Agassiz,  J.  A.  Allen,  G.  H.  Barton,  T.  T.  Bouve, 
L.  S.  Burbank,  E.  Burgess,  W.  O.  Crosby,  W.  M. 
Davis,  W.  G.  Farlow,  J.  W.  Fewkes,  A.  W.  Gra- 
bau,  Asa  Gray,  H.  W.  Haynes,  Alpheus  Hyatt,  J.  E. 
Jeffries,  J.  Marcou,  C.  S.  Minot,  E.  S.  Morse,  W. 
H.  Niles,  J.  B.  Perry,  F.  W.  Putnam,  W.  B.  Rogers, 


140  Story  of  My  Life 

S.  H.  Scudder,  N.  S.  Shaler,  M.  E.  Wadsworth,  J.  D. 
Whitney,  J.  B.  Woodworth,  and  J.  Wyman. 

In  glacial  studies,  my  chief  coadjutors  were  Mr. 
Warren  Upham,  of  the  New  Hampshire  Geological 
Survey,  and  Professor  George  H.  Stone,  of  Kent's 
Hill,  Maine.  Taking  up  my  clue,  Professor  Stone 
soon  mapped  a  series  of  fifteen  or  twenty  eskers,  or 
"  kames  "  as  they  were  then  called,  parallel  to  mine 
in  eastern  Massachusetts,  extending  to  the  New 
Brunswick  line.  Later  he  published  a  Monograph  on 
the  glacial  deposits  of  Maine,  for  the  United  States 
Geological  Survey.  Mr.  Upham,  not  only  published 
elaborately  on  the  eskers  of  New  Hampshire,  but,  tak- 
ing up  the  clue  to  the  great  terminal  moraine  furnished 
me  by  Clarence  King,  located  in  a  marvellously  short 
time  the  whole  moraine  1  along  the  south  shore  of  New 
England,  and  through  Long  Island.  It  is  interesting 
to  note,  however,  that  at  this  time  there  was  consider- 
able hesitation  about  accepting  the  reality  both  of 
eskers  and  of  terminal  moraines.  Professor  Dana  had 
another  explanation  for  the  gravel  ridges  which  Mr. 
Upham  had  described  in  the  Connecticut  Valley,  and 
had  it  already  in  print  in  the  American  Journal  of 
Science,  but  before  the  number  was  issued,  he  came 
to  Andover  to  look  over  the  field  with  me.  That 
satisfied  him,  and  he  added  an  appendix  of  a  few 


Ten  Years  at  Andover  141 

lines  to  his  destructive  article,  saying  that  my  gravel 
ridges  were  eskers  without  doubt. 

About  this  time  Dr.  C.  C.  Abbott,  of  Trenton,  New 
Jersey,  was  reporting  the  discovery  of  palaeolithic  im- 
plements in  the  gravel  terrace  on  which  the  city  of 
Trenton  is  built.  From  all  reports  it  seemed  that 
his  discoveries  were  similar  in  significance  to  those 
made  in  France  by  Boucher  de  Perthes  and  others,  in 
the  valley  of  the  Somme.  Professor  F.  W.  Putnam 
and  Professor  Gray  suggested  to  me  that  I  should  go 
to  Trenton  to  see  what  light  my  knowledge  of  glacial 
gravels  might  shed  on  the  question  of  the  age  of  Ab- 
bott's implements.  Accordingly  I  went  to  Trenton 
in  company  with  Professor  Boyd  Dawkins,  one  of  the 
most  prominent  of  the  authorities  on  the  prehistoric 
antiquities  of  Great  Britain,  and  with  Professor  Henry 
W.  Haynes,  one  of  the  best  qualified  authorities  on  the 
subject  in  America.  We  were  joined  in  Trenton  by 
Henry  Carvill  Lewis  of  Philadelphia,  whom  I  had 
interested  in  the  subject  a  short  time  before.  This 
visit  to  Trenton  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Abbott, 
brought  evidence  of  the  clearest  character  of  the  ex- 
istence of  man  on  this  continent,  as  well  as  in  Europe, 
before  the  close  of  the  Glacial  epoch,  and  so  gave 
new  zest  to  my  investigations,  since  now  glacial  studies 
touched  on  the  theological  and  Biblical  questions  in 
which  I  was  primarily  interested.  I  will  say  more 


142  Story  of  My  Life 

on  this  point  later.  But  here  it  is  proper  to  remark 
that  scarcely  a  year  has  passed  since,  that  I  have  not 
visited  Dr.  Abbott,  and  his  coadjutor,  Mr.  Ernest 
Volk,  to  see  for  myself  the  discoveries  which  they 
were  making,  and  twice  I  have  spent  a  week  at  a 
time  in  Trenton,  conducting  independent  investiga- 
tions there  with  a  committee  of  the  American  Associa- 
tion for  the  Advancement  of  Science. 

During  the  later  part  of  my  stay  in  Andover  it  was 
suggested  to  me  both  by  Professor  Asa  Gray  and  by 
the  Andover  professors  that  my  familiarity  with 
science  and  the  Bible  gave  me  an  opportunity  to  write 
a  book  on  the  evidences  of  Christianity  which  would 
meet  a  deeply  felt  want.  The  result  was  "  The 
Logic  of  Christian  Evidences,"  in  which  I  endeavored 
to  apply  the  principles  of  inductive  logic  to  the  evi- 
dences of  Christianity  in  the  same  rigorous  manner  in 
which  they  were  being  applied  to  the  more  indefinite 
of  the  natural  sciences,  such  as  geology  and  biology. 
The  first  part  of  the  book  was  devoted  to  illustrations 
of  what  constitutes  proof  in  the  various  sciences;  the 
second  part,  to  the  consideration  of  Theism  and 
Christianity,  in  which  my  studies  of  Darwinism  were 
used  to  advantage  in  discussing  the  doctrine  of  de- 
sign ;  the  third  part,  to  the  specific  evidences  of  the 
genuineness  and  authority  of  the  New  Testament. 
Professor  John  Henry  Thayer  offered  to  take  the 


Ten  Years  at  Andover  143 

manuscript,  when  it  was  finished,  to  the  Appletons, 
and  give  to  them  his  endorsement  as  to  its  value. 
But  they  declined  to  publish,  saying  that  although  it 
was  an  ably  written  book,  they  did  not  think  it  would 
be  profitable  to  the  publishers ;  for,  they  wrote,  "  those 
who  believe  in  Christianity  do  not  need  it,  and  those 
who  do  not  believe  in  Christianity  will  not  read  it." 
Whereupon  it  was  given  to  Warren  F.  Draper,  the 
Andover  publisher,  who  issued,  it  in  1880.  Suffice 
it  to  say  that  the  book  met  with  a  large  immediate 
sale,  and  has  continued  to  sell  up  to  the  present  time, 
six  editions  having  been  issued.  Professor  Otto 
Zockler  of  Germany  spoke  of  it  as  deserving  "to  be 
conspicuously  mentioned."  Dr.  Thomas  Hill,  one- 
time President  of  Harvard  University,  pronounced  it 
"  a  remarkable  and  remarkably  successful  attempt  to 
condense  a  library  into  a  small  volume."  Mr.  Draper 
advertised  that  President  Hill  said  it  was  a  "success- 
ful attempt,"  etc.  But  I  called  his  attention  to  this 
as  another  illustration  of  the  fact  that  strong  adjectives 
often  weakened  the  positive  statements  to  which  they 
were  prefixed.  He  did  not  say  a  "  successful  attempt," 
but  only  a  "  remarkably  successful  attempt." 

In  the  spring  of  1881  Professor  J.  P.  Lesley,  direc- 
tor of  the  Second  Geological  Survey  of  Pennsylvania, 
asked  Mr.  Henry  Carvill  Lewis  and  me  to  trace  the 


144  Story  of  My  Life 

terminal  moraine  of  the  great  Ice  age  across  that  State. 
He  said  that  he  did  not  believe  there  was  any  well- 
marked  moraine,  but-  he  wanted  the  facts  known  and 
put  on  record  among  the  results  of  his  survey.  We 
were  to  have  our  expenses  paid,  but  were  to  offer  our 
services  gratuitously.  Accordingly  we  set  about  the 
work  as  soon  as  my  summer  vacation  began,  which 
was  generously  extended  somewhat  by  my  church. 
Taking  up  the  line  on  the  Delaware  River  a  little 
above  Easton,  where  Professor  George  H.  Cook,  of 
the  Geological  Survey  of  New  Jersey  had  left  it,  we 
prosecuted  our  investigations  continuously  throughout 
the  summer  until  the  work  was  nearly  completed. 
Finding  where  the  southern  limits  of  northern  bowl- 
ders, scratched  stones  and  surfaces,  and  unstratified 
transported  material  ended,  we  proceeded  to  drive  in 
and  out  over  every  road,  marking  the  limit  as  we 
went  along.  We  thus  surveyed  a  belt  of  territory 
across  the  State  about  twenty  miles  in  width,  and 
much  to  Professor  Lesley's  delight,  made  our  report 
fixing  the  line  that  is  shown  on  all  maps  of  glacial 
phenomena  covering  that  State.  Our  report,  pre- 
pared by  Mr.  Lewis,  constitutes  volume  Z  of  the 
elaborate  report  of  the  Second  Geological  Survey  of  the 
State,  and  was  entitled  "  The  Terminal  Moraine  in 
Pennsylvania  and  Western  New  York,"  to  which  is 
appended  "  The  Terminal  Moraine  in  Ohio  and 


Ten  Years  at  Andover  145 

Kentucky,  by  G.  F.  Wright,"  thus  including  some 
of  my  later  work  which  was  done  before  the  Penn- 
sylvania report  was  published. 

Professor  Lesley  was  partly  right  and  partly  wrong 
in  his  surmises.  The  terminal  moraine  which  we 
traced  did  not  mark  the  extreme  limit  of  the  ice  sheet 
in  Pennsylvania.  It  was,  however,  a  genuine  moraine 
of  the  latter  part  of  the  Glacial  epoch,  now  spoken 
of  as  the  Wisconsin  episode.  Before  we  had  finished 
our  survey  we  perceived  that  there  was  a  border  cov- 
ered with  scattered  glacial  marks  extending  an  in- 
definite distance  farther  south  than  pur  moraine. 
This  we  denominated  "  the  fringe."  Later  authori- 
ties (we  never  could  see  why)  objected  to  that  word 
so  strongly  that  we  have  adopted  their  word,  "  at- 
tenuated border."  But  in  my  subsequent  explorations 
west  of  Pennsylvania  (of  which  I  will  speak  later) 
I  delineated  the  limit  of  this  attenuated  border,  while 
Professor  E.  H.  Williams  has  prepared  an  elaborate 
report,  begun  at  my  suggestion,  on  the  attenuated  bor- 
der of  glacial  action  in  the  State.  One  of  the  most 
striking  things  revealed  by  our  survey  was  that  the 
glacial  border  is  very  irregular.  In  the  eastern  part 
of  the  State  it  is  as  far  south  as  the  latitude  of  New 
York  City,  while  south  of  Buffalo  it  has  swung  as  far 
north  as  Salamanca  in  New  York  State;  whence  it 
runs  southwest  as  far  as  Cincinnati. 


146  Story  of  My  Life 


CHAPTER  V. 

TRANSFER  TO  OBERLIN 

ANOTHER  of  the  great  turning  points  in  my  life 
occurred  at  this  time.  I  had  been  invited  a  year  be- 
fore to  take  the  chair  of  New  Testament  Language 
and  Literature,  to  succeed  my  old  and  beloved  Pro- 
fessor Morgan,  in  Oberlin  Theological  Seminary.  At 
that  time,  for  various  reasons,  I  declined  the  invita- 
tion. But  now,  partly  in  view  of  the  approaching 
theological  convulsion  which  I  dimly  discerned  as 
rising  above  the  horizon  in  Andover,  I  wrote  to  Presi- 
dent Fairchild  that  if  the  chair  was  not  yet  filled  I 
would  reconsider  my  decision.  An  immediate  repeti- 
tion of  the  call  came.  I  am  not  much  given  to  fol- 
lowing vague  impressions  that  come  unbidden  into 
the  mind ;  but  in  this  case  such  an  impression,  of  which 
I  have  never  before  spoken,  came  upon  me  at  a  definite 
time  and  place  as  I  was  one  day,  in  the  early  spring 
of  that  year,  walking  past  the  Memorial  Library 
toward  home.  The  impression  was  so  strong,  that, 
without  being  able  to  give  any  adequate  reason  for  it, 
I  wrote  as  I  did  to  President  Fairchild. 

And  hereby  hangs  a  tale.  Professor  Dana  expos- 
tulated with  me  for  leaving  the  East,  where  I  had 


Transfer  to  Oberlin  147 

made  my  scientific  reputation,  and  going  so  far  away 
from  the  leading  centers  of  scientific  investigation. 
But  it  soon  developed,  that  the  only  place  in  the  world 
where  I  could  have  carried  on  my  glacial  investiga- 
tions successfully  was  again  unexpectedly  opened  to 
me.  The  Western  Reserve  Historical  Society  of 
Cleveland  had  for  its  presiding  genius  Judge  C.  C. 
Baldwin,  a  man  of  remarkable  breadth  of  view,  and 
deeply  devoted  to  the  propagation  of  the  higher  in- 
terests of  his  city  and  state.  Professor  Charles  Fair- 
child  was  the  financial  agent  of  Oberlin  College,  and 
was  on  the  lookout  for  fields  of  labor  in  which  the 
various  professors  might  distinguish  themselves.  Rev. 
Charles  Collins  was  pastor  of  the  Plymouth  Congre- 
gational Church,  of  Cleveland,  and  was  thoroughly 
interested  in  scientific  investigations  affecting  theologi- 
cal views.  When  it  was  brought  to  the  notice  of 
these  men  that  remains  of  glacial  man  had  been  dis- 
covered, as  we  have  related,  at  Trenton,  New  Jersey, 
and  that  I  had  traced  the  glacial  boundary  across 
Pennsylvania  to  the  Ohio  line,  they  said,  "  Here  is 
work  for  the  Western  Reserve  Historical  Society.  If 
man  was  in  America  during  the  Glacial  epoch,  then 
everything  bearing  on  that  epoch  has  historical  sig- 
nificance, and  opens  a  proper  field  for  us  to  enter." 
No  sooner  said  than  done.  Funds  were  raised  to  pay 
my  expenses  in  extending  my  explorations  of  the 


148  Story  of  My  Life 

glacial  boundary  across  Ohio  and  the  states  farther 
west.  In  those  days  railroad  presidents  were  per- 
mitted to  give  passes  to  their  friends,  and  my  cousin, 
Jarvis  Adams,  then  President  of  the  New  York, 
Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  R.  R.,  secured  passes  for  me 
and  an  assistant  over  every  road  from  Pittsburgh  to 
St.  Louis.  My  services  were  gratuitous. 

Space  will  not  permit  me  to  go  into  details  concern- 
ing the  prosecution  of  the  work  that  now  opened  so 
auspiciously.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  for  three  years  it 
occupied  the  long  vacations,  of  about  four  months 
each.  The  work  was  continued  as  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  like  the  investigations  in  that  State  was  beset 
with  many  difficulties,  because  of  the  irregularity  of 
the  line.  For  days  at  a  time  the  line  would  be  found 
to  run  in  a  southwesterly  direction,  as  in  western 
Pennsylvania  and  southern  Ohio,  then  it  would  turn 
directly  westward,  or,  as  in  eastern  Indiana,  directly 
to  the  north  to  make  a  great  unexpected  loop.  Thus 
prophecy  of  the  direction  the  line  would  take  often  led 
us  astray,  and  sent  us  forward  to  waste  days  either  in 
or  out  of  the  line  before  we  found  the  real  margin. 
The  vagaries  of  our  wanderings  often  greatly  mystified 
the  people.  At  one  time  we  were  gone  so  long  with 
the  livery  rig,  and  our  whereabouts  was  so  unknown, 
that  advertisements  were  out  for  us  as  horse  thieves. 
At  another  time  it  was  supposed  that  we  were  advance 


Transfer  to  Oberlin  149 

agents  of  a  circus,  going  ahead  to  put  up  advertise- 
ments. As  such  we  were  favored  by  the  livery  men, 
as  belonging  to  a  class  that  liberally  patronized  their 
business  and  paid  well  for  the  services  rendered.  At 
another  time  we  were  taken  for  lightning  rod  agents, 
in  a  region  where  the  buildings  were  provided  with 
gilt-top  rods  projecting  from  each  end  of  the  roof 
gables  without  any  ground  connection  —  the  theory 
being  that  the-  lightning  would  run  down  one  end  and 
go  off  into  the  sky  at  the  other  end.  We  lived  with 
the  people,  and  were  well  taken  care  of,  so  that  the 
work  was  a  real  and  profitable  vacation.  Thus  I 
obtained  a  knowledge,  incidentally,  of  the  general 
geology,  the  topography,  the  botany,  and  the  social 
conditions  characterizing  a  belt  of  territory,  twenty 
miles  wide,  extending  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean  to  the 
Mississippi  River.  The  livery  horses  were  all  faith- 
ful, the  people,  all  obliging  so  that  my  respect  for  both 
human  nature  and  horse  nature  was  raised  to  a  high 
degree.  The  nearest  to  real  danger  which  I  ever 
came  was  at  a  small  settlement  in  Indiana  called 
"Lick  Skillet,"  in  the  region  made  celebrated  by  Eg- 
gleston's  "  Hoosier  Schoolmaster."  On  reaching  that 
place  I  was  ill  and  needed  to  consult  a  physician.  But 
the  only  sign  to  be  found  was  "  Sam  Jones,  Physician 
and  Undertaker."  I  gave  him  a  wide  berth,  and  drove 
on  to  the  next  settlement. 


150  Story  of  My  Life 

As  my  explorations  proceeded,  great  interest  was 
shown  in  Cleveland,  where  large  audiences  gathered 
to  hear  my  annual  reports.  Professor  Dana  published 
articles  with  maps  in  the  American  Journal  of  Science, 
and  the  Boston  Society  of  Natural  History  received  the 
reports  which  I  personally  made  to  them  as  being  a 
continuation  of  the  work  which  they  had  had  the  honor 
of  first  recognizing  and  endorsing.  Some  said  it  was 
work  that  anybody  could  have  done  and  required  only 
that  a  person  keep  right  on  to  a  finish.  And  that  was 
what  I  did.  Some  said  that  there  was  no  more  inter- 
est attaching  to  the  marginal  deposits  than  to  any  por- 
tion of  the  glaciated  region  above  the  border.  This  I 
did  not  dispute.  The  fact  remains,  however,  that  the 
establishing  of  the  actual  limit  of  the  advance  of  the 
continental  glacier  has  furnished  a  basis  for  all  subse- 
quent investigations,  besides  bringing  to  light  a  great 
variety  of  facts  which  are  obscured  above  the  line  by 
the  complicated  movements  of  the  ice  during  various 
episodes  of  advance  and  retreat.  The  irregularity  of 
the  line  traced  can  be  studied  on  any  of  the  maps 
showing  the  limits  of  glaciation  in  America. 


Significance  of  Glacial  Phenomena  151 


CHAPTER  VI 

SIGNIFICANCE  OF  GLACIAL  PHENOMENA 

THE  work  of  determining  the  glacial  boundary 
west  of  the  Mississippi  has  been  carried  on  by  a  num- 
ber of  field  workers;  but  I  have  familiarized  myself 
with  the  greater  part  of  the  ground,  so  that  I  have 
personal  knowledge  of  the  field  nearly  everywhere 
across  the  continent.  Since  the  determination  of  the 
southern  boundary  of  the  entire  glaciated  area  in 
North  America,  an  immense  amount  of  expert  work 
has  been  done  by  a  large  number  of  investigators  in 
all  the  region  between  the  boundary  and  the  North 
Pole.  No  other  scientific  subject  has  so  continued  to 
occupy  investigators,  and  to  interest  the  public,  as  this 
has  done. 

Especially  productive  have  been  the  investigations  of 
Robert  Bell,  G.  Bownocker,  A.  P.  Brigham,  Samuel 
Calvin,  R.  Chalmers,  T.  C.  Chamberlin,  A.  T.  Cole- 
man,  W.  O.  Crosby,  W.  M.  Davis,  G.  M.  Dawson, 
B.  K.  Emerson,  H.  L.  Fairchild,  Gerard  Fowke,  G. 
K.  Gilbert,  A.  W.  Grabau,  O.  H.  Hershey,  C.  H. 
Hitchcock,  J.  F.  Kemp,  Joseph  LeConte,  Frank  Lev- 
erett,  E.  H.  Mudge,  Miss  Luella  A.  Owen,  Harry 


152  Story  of  My  Life 

F.  Reid,  I.  C.  Russell,  R.  D.  Salisbury,  J.  W.  Spencer, 

G.  H.  Stone,  R.  S.  Tarr,  F.  B.  Taylor,  W.  G.  Tight, 
J.   E.  Todd,  J.  B.  Tyrrell,  Warren  Upham,  E.   H. 
Williams,  N.   H.  Winchell,  and  J.   B.   Woodworth. 

The  expectations  of  the  Western  Reserve  Histori- 
cal Society  in  promoting  the  interests  to  which  they 
were  devoted,  were  amply  met.  The  determination 
of  the  limits  of  ice  extension  across  the  Mississippi 
Valley  brought  to  light  a  large  number  of  localities 
in  which  the  conditions  were  similar  to  those  in  north- 
ern France  and  in  Trenton,  New  Jersey,  where  pa- 
laeolithic implements  had  been  found,  so  that  local 
observers  were  induced  to  be  on  the  lookout  for  sim- 
ilar discoveries  here.  These  localities  were  on  those 
streams  through  which  the  enormous  floods  accom- 
panying the  final  melting  of  the  ice  poured  forth,  de- 
positing gravel  terraces  far  above  the  reach  of  any 
present  floods.  In  almost  every  instance  these  ter- 
races are  nearly  one  hundred  feet  above  the  present 
flood  plains  of  the  streams.  In  due  time  implements 
were  found  in  these  undisturbed  gravels,  by  Mr.  Sam 
Houston  at  Brilliant,  near  Steubenville,  in  the  gravel 
terrace  on  the  Ohio  River;  by  Mr.  W.  C.  Mills,  the 
present  accomplished  Curator  of  the  Ohio  State 
Archaeological  and  Historical  Society,  at  New  Com- 
erstown,  on  the  Tuscarawas  River;  and  by  Dr.  C.  L. 
Metz,  Professor  Putnam's  colaborer,  at  Loveland  and 


Significance  of  Glacial  Phenomena  153 

Madisonville  on  the  Little  Miami  River,  a  short  dis- 
tance above  Cincinnati.  Later,  similar  discoveries 
were  made  by  Miss  Babbitt  on  the  Mississippi  River  at 
Little  Falls,  Minnesota;  while  human  bones,  in  sim- 
ilar deposits,  have  been  found  on  the  Missouri  River 
at  Lansing,  Kansas,  and  at  Florence,  a  little  above 
Omaha,  Nebraska. 

One  of  my  discoveries,  which  attracted  most  atten- 
tion, was,  that  the  ice  crossed  the  Ohio  River  at  Cin- 
cinnati and  formed  a  dam  five  hundred  feet  high, 
sufficient  to  raise  the  water  enough  to  submerge  Pitts- 
burgh three  hundred  feet,  though  several  hundred 
miles  distant.  This  discovery  was  first  presented  at 
the  meeting  of  the  American  Association  for  the  Ad- 
vancement of  Science  at  Minneapolis  in  1883,  where 
Professor  I.  C.  White  furnished  facts  concerning  the 
horizontal  clay  terraces  extending  for  a  hundred  miles 
up  the  Monongahela  River  south  of  Pittsburgh,  indi- 
cating standing  water  there  at  the  height  supposed. 
When  this  evidence  was  presented  it  brought  Profes- 
sor Lesley  to  his  feet  to  express  his  delight  that  at  last 
evidence  had  been  produced  to  establish  such  an  ob- 
struction to  the  drainage  of  the  Ohio  Valley.  He 
said  that  several  years  before  he  had  observed  high- 
level  terraces  in  the  streams  west  of  the  Alleghany 
Mountains  and  had  attributed  them  to  a  general  sub- 
sidence of  the  whole  region,  permitting  ocean  waters 


154  Story  of  My  Life 

to  form  shore  lines  at  that  elevation  on  the  flanks  of 
the  mountains.  But  later,  on  finding  that  there  were 
no  such  high-level  terraces  on  the  eastern  flanks  of  the 
Alleghanies,  he  had  been  compelled  to  abandon  his 
theory,  and  to  cancel  all  that  he  had  written  about 
them.  Since  then  he  had  been  looking  for  some  ex- 
planation, and  "  now,"  said  he,  "  Providence  has  pro- 
vided it  and  Wright's  dam  will  explain  everything." 
This  endorsement  gave  the  Cincinnati  dam  a  notoriety 
that  has  been  somewhat  embarrassing,  since  it  raised 
extravagant  expectations  of  finding  its  shore  lines  all 
along  up  the  Ohio  Valley.  As  these  did  not  every- 
where appear,  there  was  a  tendency  to  discredit  the 
dam  altogether.  But  such  negative  testimony  was  not 
of  much  value,  since  the  dam  was  obviously  of  rather 
short  continuance. 

But  most  important  of  all  were  the  modifications  of 
the  original  theory,  arising  from  facts  which  came  to 
light  concerning  the  formation  of  the  channel  of  the 
present  Ohio  River.  It  appeared  that  the  original 
drainage  of  the  upper  Ohio,  and  its  tributaries  above 
Pittsburgh,  was  into  the  St.  Lawrence  Valley  to  the 
north;  so  that  when  the  glacial  ice  in  its  southern 
progress  reached  the  highlands  of  Pennsylvania  and 
Ohio,  the  drainage  was  reversed, — temporary  dams 
raising  the  water  high  enough  to  run  over  the  cols 
between  the  ramifying  tributaries,  and,  after  wear- 


Significance  of  Glacial  Phenomena  155 

ing  them  down,  to  produce  the  present  tortuous  chan- 
nel of  the  Ohio.  Thus  it  became  apparent  that  the 
clay  terraces  on  the  Monongahela  described  by  I.  C. 
White  were  the  result  of  the  damming  up  of  the  out- 
lets of  the  original  Allegheny  and  the  Monongahela 
River,  causing  the  water  to  stand  at  the  level  of  those 
terraces  until  the  cols  separating  their  valleys  from 
those  farther  down  were  lowered  sufficiently  to  con- 
stitute a  continuous  channel.  This,  however,  does 
not  do  away  with  the  Cincinnati  dam.  For  when  at 
last  the  ice  reached  Cincinnati  and  crossed  over  into 
Kentucky,  as  all  agree  that  it  did,  there  was  a  dam 
there,  though  of  shorter  duration  than  that  in  the  up- 
per portions  of  the  valley.  The  ice  dam  at  Cincinnati 
still  remains  one  of  the  most  spectacular  of  the  phe- 
nomena of  the  great  Ice  age  in  North  America. 

My  report  to  the  Western  Reserve  Historical  So- 
ciety, on  "  The  Glacial  Boundary  in  Ohio,  Indiana 
and  Kentucky"  was  published  in  1884.  After  that, 
1  was  commissioned  by  the  United  States  Geological 
Survey  to  complete  the  survey  to  the  Mississippi 
River,  to  revise  as  much  of  my  previous  work  as  was 
necessary,  and  to  publish  the  whole  results  as  a  Gov- 
ernment document.  This  appeared  in  1890  as  Bul- 
letin No.  58,  and  was  entitled  "  The  Glacial  Bound- 
ary in  Western  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Kentucky,  In- 
diana, and  Illinois." 


156  Story  of  My  Life 

In  1886,  through  the  advice  of  Mr.  Elisha  Gray, 
of  electrical  fame,  who  partly  bore  the  expense  of  the 
expedition,  I  went  to  Alaska  and  spent  a  month  at 
the  foot  of  the  great  Muir  Glacier.  I  had  as  com- 
panions -my  classmate  Rev.  J.  L.  Patton  and  S. 
Prentiss  Baldwin,  a  youth  of  seventeen  years,  in 
rather  delicate  health.  With  Mr.  Baldwin  this  was 
the  beginning  of  a  lifelong  friendship  and  cooperation 
in  geological  studies.  The  Muir  Glacier  had  been 
discovered  a  few  years  before  by  Mr.  John  Muir  in 
company  with  Rev.  Mr.  Young,  a  Presbyterian  mis- 
sionary. At  the  time  of  our  visit,  tourist  steamers 
had  for  two  or  three  years  been  going  up  to  the  glacier 
to  remain  a  few  hours  and  then  return.  We  were 
the  first  to  spend  any  length  of  time  in  studying  it. 
It  was  four  years  later  that  any  one  else  visited  it 
(or  any  other  Alaskan  glacier)  to  give  it  scientific 
attention,  so  that  we  had  a  monopoly  of  knowledge 
on  the  subject  for  that  time,  which  proved  of  great 
advantage  to  me. 

Two  incidents  having  no  bearing  on  our  scientific 
investigations,  nevertheless  made  such  an  impression 
on  me  that  I  cannot  forbear  mentioning  them.  Mr. 
Baldwin  was  a  member  of  the  Agassiz  Club,  and  so 
was  averse  to  killing  any  birds  except  for  scientific 
purposes.  But  he  thought  it  proper  to  collect  speci- 
mens of  birds  to  stuff  for  a  museum.  One  morning 


Significance  of  Glacial  Phenomena  157 

I  saw  him  trying  to  shoot  some  of  the  small  birds 
that  flitted  about  our  tent;  but  was  surprised  to  see 
the  birds  abandon  their  resting  place  and  light  on  the 
gun  that  was  aimed  at  them,  so  little  did  they  know 
of  the  cruel  nature  of  the  beings  that  were  for  the 
first  time  visiting  the  region.  This  was  too  much  for 
Mr.  Baldwin.  He  let  the  confiding  little  creatures 
live,  and  put  up  his  gun  without  any  further  attempts 
to  stock  a  museum. 

The  other  incident  related  to  a  Creed,  which  we 
drew  out  of  our  uneducated  Indian  helper  named 
Jake.  We  had  two  Indians  to  help  us,  one,  named 
Jackson,  who  could  speak  English  indifferently,  and 
so  could  interpret  Jake's  language  for  us.  We  en- 
deavored to  rest  on  Sunday,  and  went  through  the 
formality  of  some  sort  of  a  religious  service  each 
week.  On  one  of  these  occasions  we  drew  from  Jake 
his  religious  creed,  which,  as  interpreted  by  Jackson, 
was  as  follows: — 

1.  I  believe  that  God  is  the  Boss  of  us  fellers,  and 
every  man  all. 

2.  I  believe  that  God  loves  us   fellers  and  every 
man  all. 

3.  I  feel  in  my  heart  that  I  love  God.     I  love  my 
brother,  my  sister,  every  man  all. 

4.  I  wish  every  man  loved  Jesus,  then  he  good,  no 
bad,  no  fight. 


158  Story  of  My  Life 

Jake  had  made  no  profession  of  religion,  but  this 
much  he  had  absorbed  from  the  godly  life  of  a  mis- 
sionary (Rev.  Mr.  Corleis,  of  Philadelphia),  who 
had  spent  a  single  winter  with  his  tribe  in  southeastern 
Alaska.  We  have  recommended  this  creed  for  in- 
corporation in  future  revisions  of  the  Presbyterian 
Confession. 

The  facts  which  we  collected  concerning  the  Muir 
Glacier  proved  to  be  of  the  greatest  interest  and  im- 
portance, for  the  light  which  they  shed  on  theories 
concerning  the  Glacial  epoch.  At  that  time  this  was 
the  largest  glacier,  outside  of  Greenland,  which  had 
been  carefully  observed,  and  at  once  threw  into  the 
shade  all  that  had  been  inferred  from  the  diminutive 
Alpine  glaciers.  The  Muir  Glacier  presented  a  front 
more  than  a  mile  in  width  where  it  entered  the  head 
of  Muir  Inlet,  and  this  was  perpendicular  in  height, 
more  than  300  feet  above  the  water,  while  the  depth 
of  the  water,  as  near  the  front  as  the  captain  dared 
to  sound,  was  700  feet,  thus  presenting  a  face  1,000 
feet  high  and  a  mile  in  width,  which  was  being  pushed 
forward  to  break  off  in  icebergs  of  immense  size.  The 
calving  of  each  iceberg  was  accompanied  by  a  tre- 
mendous detonation,  which  reverberated  from  the  lofty 
mountain  side  with  majestic  effect.  The  noise  of 
these  reports  was  almost  continuous.  Our  measure- 
ments established  a  rate  of  motion  in  the  center  of  the 


Significance  of  Glacial  Phenomena  159 

glacier,  which  exceeded  anything  found  elsewhere 
outside  of  Greenland.  Moreover,  we  collected  evi- 
dence that  the  front  of  the  glacier  had  withdrawn 
more  than  twenty  miles  in  the  hundred  years  wThich 
had  elapsed  since  Vancouver  visited  the  region  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century.  My  inferences 
on  this  point  were  amply  sustained  by  Professor  H.  F. 
Reid,  who  studied  the  glacier  and  the  region  round 
about,  four  years  after  my  visit.  Moreover,  from 
surveys  made  twenty-five  years  later,  it  appeared  that 
the  recession  of  the  front  has  continued  at  about  the 
same  rate  which  we  had  inferred  for  the  previous 
century.  In  1909  the  front  was  seven  miles  and  :i 
half  farther  back  than  it  was  in  1886  when  my  photo- 
graphs were  made,  while  the  surface  had  been  lowered, 
by  melting,  700  feet.  These  facts,  as  they  become 
known  and  appreciated,  cannot  help  having  great  in- 
fluence in  modifying  current  theories  about  the  time 
which  has  elapsed  since  the  ice  retired  from  the 
.  glaciated  area  in  the  United  States  and  Canada. 


160  Story  of  My  Life 


CHAPTER   VII 

RECEPTION  OF  MY  GLACIAL  VIEWS 

On  my  return  from  the  Muir  Glacier  I  was  in- 
vited to  give  a  course  of  eight  lectures  before  the 
Lowell  Institute  in  Boston,  the  subject  being  "  The 
Ice  Age  in  North  America."  This  at  once  gave  me 
opportunity  to  collect  all  the  material  which  had  ac- 
cumulated during  the  fifteen  years  that  I  had  been 
pursuing  the  subject,  and  the  liberal  honorarium  (one 
thousand  dollars)  given,  furnished  me  means  to  go 
on  with  further  investigations.  The  lectures  met  with 
a  very  warm  reception,  being  attended  by  large  au- 
diences throughout.  Soon  after,  Mr.  Warren  Up- 
ham,  with  whom  I  had  been  associated  so  long  and 
intimately  in  glacial  studies,  wrote  me  that  for  some 
time  he  had  cherished  the  plan  of  writing  a  book  on 
the  Glacial  epoch  in  America.  "But  now,"  he  said, 
"  it  is  evident  that  your  observations  have  covered  a 
so  much  wider  field,  that  you  are  the  one  to  write  the 
book,  and  I  will  cooperate  with  you  to  the  extent  of 
my  ability."  This  most  generous  proposition  could 
but  be  highly  appreciated,  especially  as  at  that  time 
Mr.  (now  Doctor)  Upham  had  been  for  several  years 


Reception  of  My  Glacial  Views  161 

studying  the  glacial  phenomena  in  Minnesota  and 
adjoining  territory,  while  a  member  of  the  geological 
survey  of  that  State,  so  that  he  had  a  more  detailed 
knowledge  of  a  large  section  of  the  glaciated  area  than 
anyone  else  had.  It  was  thus  a  great  advantage  that 
I  could  associate  him  with  me  in  the  volume  which 
I  set  out  to  prepare,  by  revising  and  enlarging  my 
Lowell  Institute  lectures. 

"  The  Ice  Age  in  North  America  and  its  Bearings 
on  the  Antiquity  of  Man  "  was  published  by  D.  Ap- 
pleton  and  Company  in  1889.  It  formed  a  book 
of  nearly  700  octavo  pages,  and  was  put  on  the  mar- 
ket at  five  dollars  a  volume.  It  met  with  a  large  sale 
at  once,  and  successive  editions  were  called  for  from 
time  to  time,  permitting  the  incorporation  of  such  new 
material  as  seemed  important.  The  fifth  edition  was 
issued  in  1911.  This  was  thoroughly  revised  and 
considerably  enlarged,  among  the  additions  being  a 
bibliography  giving  the  titles  of  articles  that  had  been 
published  on  the  subject  in  the  scientific  journals  since 
the  first  edition  appeared.  Thirty  closely  printed 
pages  are  required  for  this  bibliography.  The  book 
aimed  to  meet  both  the  scientific  and  popular  want, 
and  many  things  indicate  that  it  has  done  this  fairly 
well.  This  the  very  sale  itself  would  indicate.  But 
two  instances  of  the  use  of  the  book  furnish  interesting 
confirmation  of  the  fact. 


1 62  Story  of  My  Life 

A  friend  of  mine  was  riding  from  Buffalo  to  Al- 
bany with  a  Chicago  drummer,  and  got  into  con- 
versation with  him  about  the  scenery  through  which 
they  were  passing.  The  drummer  had  a  good  many 
remarks  to  make  that  showed  knowledge  of  the  coun- 
try, but  he  said  he  was  sorry  he  did  not  have  his 
guidebook  with  him,  which  it  appeared  was  Wright's 
"  Ice  Age  in  North  America,"  which  he  ordinarily 
carried  for  the  interesting  light  it  shed  on  the  scenery 
of  all  the  northern  part  of  the  United  States. 

In  1901,  when  my  son  and  I  had  reached  Petro- 
grad  in  our  trip  across  Siberia  and  Central  Asia,  we 
were  told  by  the  geologists  there  that  it  was  important 
for  us  to  visit  Kiev,  to  see  the  human  relics  which 
Professor  Armaschevsky  had  recently  found  deeply 
buried  beneath  the  glacial  deposits.  We  therefore 
turned  aside  on  our  way  to  Odessa,  and  visited  Kiev 
without  any  notice  of  our  intentions  having  been 
sent  to  the  Professor.  On  reaching  the  city  we  found 
our  way  to  the  university,  where  several  thousand 
students  were  gathered,  and,  on  inquiring  for  Profes- 
sor Armaschevsky,  were  shown  to  the  museum,  where:, 
after  the  door  was  opened,  we  were  directed  to  a 
tall  man  at  work  among  fossils  behind  a  counter.  On 
approaching  him  and  giving  him  my  card  with  simply 
my  name  and  address  on  it,  he,  after  scanning  it  closely, 
without  a  word,  turned  around  and  took  down  "  The 


Reception  of  My  Glacial  Views  163 

Ice  Age  in  North  America,"  and  laid  it  before  me. 
This  was  his  introduction ;  for,  though  he  could  read 
English,  he  could  not  speak  it.  Suffice  it  to  say  that 
he  immediately  secured  an  interpreter,  and  put  him- 
self at  our  service  for  the  remainder  of  the  day. 

My  travels  have  been  somewhat  extensive  since  my 
exploration  of  the  Muir  Glacier;  and,  it  is  needless 
to  say,  have  all  been  arranged  to  gather  facts  bearing 
on  the  Glacial  epoch,  though  the  incidental  oppor- 
tunities to  enlarge  the  general  horizon  of  my  mental 
vision  have  been  about  as  great  as  if  that  had  been 
the  sole  object  of  travel  in  foreign  lands.  The  col- 
lege authorities  soon  after  so  arranged  my  teaching 
term  that  I  had  five  or  six  months  at  my  disposal  for 
outside  work.  This  time  I  scrupulously  devoted  to  the 
field  of  investigation  which  had  opened  itself  before 
me,  and  which,  I  may  say,  was  not  merely  scientific, 
but  the  harmony  of  science  and  the  Bible,  my  avoca- 
tion having  attained  such  manifest  importance  that  in 
1892  a  special  chair  was  provided-  for  me  under  the 
title  of  the  Harmony  of  Science  and  Revelation. 

The  summer  of  1890  wras  spent  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains  and  on  the  Pacific  Coast  in  company  with 
Mr.  Prentiss  Baldwin.  I  was  induced  to  take  this 
trip  at  the  suggestion  of  Charles  Francis  Adams,  who 
was  then  president  of  the  Union  Pacific  railroad. 
He  had  been  on  a  visit  to  the  Muir  Glacier,  and  topk 


164  Story  of  My  Life 

with  him  my  "  Ice  Age  in  North  America."  On  his 
return  he  stopped  off  with  his  staff  at  Nampa  on  the 
Oregon  Short  Line,  near  Boise  City.  The  party  ar- 
rived there  a  few  days  after  a  remarkable  discovery 
of  a  small,  well-shaped,  though  imperfect,  clay  figu- 
rine, had  been  made  by  Mr.  M.  A.  Kurtz  while  driv- 
ing a  well  through  a  thin  coating  of  lava,  and  about 
three  hundred  feet  of  sand,  clay,  and  quicksand.  This 
object  was  taken  with  his  own  hands  from  the  bailer 
as  it  came  from  the  bottom  of  the  six-inch  hole  which 
had  been  driven.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  Mr.  Adams 
and  several  officers  of  the  road  who  were  with  him, 
who  from  their  training  constituted  the  best  jury  that 
could  be  obtained  by  any  process  of  selection,  and  who 
knew  all  the  parties  engaged  and  made  all  possible 
inquiries  at  the  time,  were  sure  that  there  could  be  no 
mistake  about  the  reported  facts.  Their  interest  in 
the  discovery  was  such  that  Mr.  Adams  wrote  to  me 
about  it  and  told  me  that  if  I  would  go  out  there  and 
prosecute  further  investigations  he  would  give  me  a 
pass  for  myself  and  an  assistant  over  the  entire  rail- 
road system  of  which  he  was  president.  Accordingly 
Mr.  Baldwin  and  I  set  out  on  a  most  interesting  and 
enlightening  expedition.  We  entered  Yellowstone 
Park  from  the  west,  and  camped  out  with  the  aid  of 
a  single  guide  while  making  the  tour  of  the  park. 
After  passing  south  to  the  then  unfrequented  Jack- 


Reception  of  My  Glacial  Fieius  165 

son's  Hole,  where  the  Snake  River  takes  its  rise,  and 
over  the  Teton  Mountains,  we  followed  leisurely 
down  the  lava-covered  plains  of  the  Snake  River  Val- 
ley, past  Shoshone  Falls  (where  we  stayed  several 
days),  till  we  reached  Nampa.  There  we  found 
everything  to  confirm  the  conclusions  of  Mr.  Adams 
concerning  the  Nampa  figurine  and  its  significance. 

During  the  remaining  part  of  the  season  we  visited 
the  lower  Columbia  River,  and,  going  down  to  Cali- 
fornia, drove  through  to  the  Yosemite  from  Sonora. 
At  Sonora  we  had  unusual  opportunities  to  verify  the 
reports  which  Professor  J.  D.  Whitney  had  brought 
back  concerning  the  discoveries  of  human  relics  be- 
neath the  lava  deposits  under  Table  Mountain.  We 
also  secured  there,  on  the  best  of  evidence,  facts  about 
the  discovery  of  a  small  lava  mortar  for  the  grinding  of 
grain  and  nuts,  which  has  played  quite  a  part  in  subse- 
quent discussions.  This  was  finally  given  to  us,  and  is 
now  the  property  of  the  Western  Reserve  Historical 
Society  in  Cleveland,  Ohio.  The  genuineness  of  the 
Nampa  figurine  was  amply  supported  by  the  exami- 
nation to  which  it  was  submitted  after  it  was  brought 
to  the  notice  of  Professor  F.  W.  Putnam  and  others 
at  the  East. 

The  determination  of  its  antiquity,  and  that  of  the 
discoveries  under  Table  Mountain  in  California,  de- 
pends on  theories  concerning  the  date  of  the  great 


1 66  Story  of  My  Life 

lava  flows  which  cover  vast  areas  over  the  Pacific 
slope.  Every  investigator  of  note  who  has  visited  the 
region  has  been  compelled  to  assign  to  these  deposits 
a  very  recent  date,  geologically  speaking.  Indeed,  it 
is  evident  that  very  extensive  lava  flows  have  poured 
over  the  Snake  River  plains  within  a  few  hundred 
years,  while  extensive  volcanic  outbursts  of  Lassen 
Peak  in  California,  in  1890  and  again  in  1914,  have 
confirmed  Professor  J.  S.  Diller's  inference  that  within 
two  hundred  years  at  least  there  had  been  other  ex- 
tensive lava  flows  in  that  region,  though  there  had 
been  no  tradition  of  it  among  the  inhabitants.  Indeed, 
such  a  high  authority  as  the  late  Alexander  Winchell 
has  maintained  that  there  was  some  causal  connection 
between  these  great  lava  flows  on  the  Pacific  Coast 
and  the  Glacial  epoch.  Hundreds  of  thousands  of 
square  miles  there  are  covered  with  recent  lava,  in 
some  places  thousands  of  feet  in  thickness.  To  ac- 
count for  these  vast  eruptions,  Winchell  surmised 
that  the  weight  of  the  glacial  ice  over  the  eastern  part 
of  the  continent  by  its  pressure  squeezed  the  lava  out 
of  great  vents,  which  were  opened  by  it  over  the 
Rocky  Mountain  region,  and  so  brought  the  latter 
part,  at  least,  of  the  lava  flows  within  the  Glacial 
epoch.  But,  however  this  may  be,  the  facts  indicate 
a  very  recent  date  both  for  the  glacial  conditions  in 
the  Rocky  Mountain  region  and  for  the  volcanic  ac- 


Reception  of  My  Glacial  Vieivs  167 

tivity  of  which  there  is  so  much  evidence.  The 
specific  evidence  of  the  recent  date  of  the  deposits  in 
which  the  Nampa  figurine  was  found  is  so  interesting 
that  I  cannot  forbear  summarizing  it  here. 

The  efforts  to  discredit  the  genuineness  of  the 
Nampa  figurine  have  been  wholly  based  on  unverified 
theoretical  considerations.  The  direct  evidence  is 
such  as  to  satisfy  any  one  who  is  accustomed,  as  Mr. 
Adams  and  his  companions  were,  to  weighing  direct 
human  testimony.  This  they  considered  unassailable. 
But  to  those  who  are  not  familiar  with  all  the  evi- 
dence it  seems  impossible  that  such  a  human  relic 
should  be  found  in  s'uch  a  place  and  in  such  a  way. 
I  have  been  compelled,  therefore,  to  repeat  that  the 
diameter  of  the  sand  pump  was  ample,  that  other 
things  larger  than  the  figurine  were  brought  up,  and 
that  so  much  material  was  sucked  up  from  the  bottom 
of  the  hole  that  it  was  not  the  mere  problem  of  hitting 
a  mark  at  a  venture  three  hundred  feet  below  the  sur- 
face, but  of  gathering  material  in  from  considerable 
distance  all  round  the  bottom  of  the  hole.  Adequate 
additional  light  to  remove  a  priori  objections  was  not 
slow  in  coming.  It  came  in  one  of  the  most  instruc- 
tive and  spectacular  discoveries  which  have  ever  been 
made  in  glacial  geology,  namely,  that  concerning  the 
past  history  of  Great  Salt  Lake  in  Utah,  made  by 


1 68  Story  of  My  Life 

Dr.  G.  K.  Gilbert  of  the  United  States  Geological 
Survey. 

Mr.  Baldwin  and  I  had  found  inklings  of  the  dis- 
covery during  our  trip  down  the  Snake  River,  while 
at  Pocatello.  This  town  lies  at  the  junction  of  the 
Port  Neuf,  a  very  small  stream,  with  the  Snake  River. 
South  from  this  point,  towards  Great  Salt  Lake,  the 
land  rapidly  rises  into  a  mountainous  region,  but  to 
the  north  the  wide  lava-covered  plain  of  the  Snake 
River  Valley  spreads  out  for  many  miles.  What  we 
discovered  was  that  Pocatello  was  built  on  an  im- 
mense bowlder  bed,  such  as  would  be  brought  down 
the  Port  Neuf  if  there  were  a  powerful  stream  of 
water  flowing  through  it;  while  towards  the  moun- 
tains the  bed  of  the  stream  had  been  swept  clear  of 
the  bowlders  for  a  half  mile  or  more.  The  facts  pre- 
sented a  puzzle,  which  we  were  unable  to  solve.  So 
we  laid  them  aside  in  our  minds  and  notebooks  for 
future  light. 

Such  light  was  not  long  in  coming.  Mr.  Gilbert 
soon  after  published  his  Monograph  on  Lake  Bonne- 
ville,  which  is  th^e  name  given  to  the  enlargement  of 
Great  Salt  Lake  during  the  Glacial  epoch.  From 
this  it  appeared  that  during  that  period  of  greater  pre- 
cipitation and  smaller  evaporation  over  the  region,  the 
basin  in  which  Great  Salt  Lake  is  situated  had  filled 
up  till  the  water  in  it  was  1,000  feet  higher  than  it 


Reception  of  My  Glacial  Views  169 

is  now,  and  that  it  had  enlarged  its  surface  till  it 
covered  20,000  square  miles  instead  of  the  2,000  of 
its  present  surface.  It  further  appeared  that  when 
the  water  in  this  basin  had  reached  the  i,ooo-foot 
level  it  began  to  run  over  a  dirt  dam  into  the  Port 
Neuf  towards  the  Snake  River  at  Pocatello.  This 
dam  consisted  of  debris  that  had  been  brought  by 
mountain  streams  into  the  lowest  pass  separating  the 
two  valleys,  and  was  375  feet  in  thickness,  resting  on 
a  rock  shelf  625  feet  above  the  present  level  of  the 
lake.  Evidently  this  dirt  dam  permitted  the  water, 
when  it  overflowed,  to  open  a  wide  channel  so  that  it 
poured  into  the  Port  Neuf  in  a  tremendous  torrent. 
Mr.  Gilbert  calculated  that  it  would  require  twenty- 
five  years  for  a  stream  the  size  of  Niagara  to  draw 
off  the  upper  375  feet  of  water  in  Lake  Bonneville, 
that  poured  through  the  Port  Neuf  into  the  Snake 
River  Valley  at  Pocatello.  That  is  enough.  Here 
was  the  explanation  of  our  bowlder  delta  at  Port 
Neuf,  and  likewise  of  the  deposits  of  quicksand  and 
clay,  at  Nampa,  250  miles  to  the  west,  and  at  a  level 
several  hundred  feet  lower.  By  these  discoveries  all 
reasonable  theoretical  objections  were  removed. 

Subsequent  investigations  have  raised  no  new  ob- 
jections to  the  genuineness  of  the  Nampa  figurine;  on 
the  contrary  the  discovery  of  a  figurine,  in  a  prehis- 
toric cave  in  southern  France,  of  almost  exactly  the 


I  JO  Story  of  My  Life 

same  type  as  this,  must  do  much  to  reconcile  even  the 
most  skeptical  to  a  just  recognition  of  the  claims  of 
the  discovery  by  Mr.  Kurtz  in  Idaho.  As  to  the 
reported  discoveries  in  California,  no  doubt  has  fairly 
been  cast  on  any  of  them  except  the  Calaveras  skull, 
respecting  which  it  appears  that  in  the  interval  of 
some  months  during  which  it  lay  neglected  with  others 
outside  of  Dr.  Jones's  office  it  was  not  identified  by 
him,  and  the  wrong  skull  was  sent  to  Dr.  Wyman 
of  Harvard  University  for  examination.  But  that  a 
skull  was  found  by  Mr.  Mattison  is  still  among  well- 
established  facts.  Mr.  Baldwin  and  I  had  opportu- 
nity to  go  over  the  evidence  with  Mr.  Scribner,  the 
most  important  witness,  in  the  course  of  which  inci- 
dental evidence  came  out  which  easily  accounts  for 
the  mistake.  This  I  have  recounted  in  the  fifth  edi- 
tion of  my  "  Ice  Age,"  and  elsewhere.  So  the  whole 
question  of  the  antiquity  of  man  as  affected  by  the 
discoveries  in  California  and  Idaho  is  still  open,  and 
evidence  is  accumulating  that  extensive  outflows  of 
lava  on  the  Pacific  slope  have  occurred  at  a  very  re- 
cent date,  while  Dr.  G.  F.  Becker,  one  of  the  most 
capable  members  of  the  United  States  Geological  Sur- 
vey, accounts  for  the  long  survival  of  the  prehistoric 
animals  which  were  cotemporary  with  man  on  the 
Pacific  coast,  on  the  theory  that  it  was  then  a  health 
resort  for  animals,  now  for  human  invalids. 


First   Visit  to  Europe  171 


CHAPTER  VIII 

FIRST  VISIT  TO  EUROPE 

THE  summer  and  part  of  the  autumn  of  1892  was 
spent  in  a  visit  to  the  most  interesting  glaciers  and 
glacial  fields  of  Europe,  again  accompanied  by  Mr. 
Prentiss  Baldwin.  The  visit  was  instigated  by  an  in- 
vitation from  the  Northwest  of  England  Boulder 
Committee,  who  had  their  interest  aroused  by  my 
former  colaborer,  Mr.  Henry  Carvill  Lewis.  After 
finishing  our  joint  exploration  of  the  terminal  moraine 
in  Pennsylvania,  Mr.  Lewis  and  his  accomplished 
wife  went  to  England  to  do  for  Great  Britain  what 
we  had  done  for  Pennsylvania,  namely,  determine  the' 
exact  limit  of  the  country  which  had  been  overrun 
by  glacial  ice, — a  proposition  which  had  been  freely 
talked  over  by  us  during  our  joint  labors.  Mr.  Lewis 
succeeded  in  arousing  great  interest  in  the  subject,  and 
among  other  things  became  an  ardent  advocate  of  the 
theory  that  the  molluscan  remains  found  on  Moel  Try- 
faen  in  Wales,  at  Macclesfield,  near  Birmingham  in 
England,  and  in  other  places,  were  evidence  not  of  a 
submergence  of  the  land  allowing  the  oceanic  waters 
to  cover  those  heights,  but  rather  of  an  extension  of 


172  Story  of  My  Life 

glacial  ice  which  pushed  up  before  it  masses  of  the  clay 
deposits  at  the  bottom  of  the  Irish  Sea,  carrying  with 
them  the  molluscan  remains  to  be  redeposited  in  strati- 
fied gravel  as  the  ice  melted.  The  height  at  which 

these  shell  beds  were  found  in  Wales  was  about  1,400 

• 
feet  above  sea  level,  and  at  Macclesfield  1,200. 

The  occurrence  of  these  shell  beds  had  been  inter- 
preted by  all  the  older  geologists  as  indicative  of  a 
postglacial  submergence.  But  before  Mr.  Lewis's 
visit  it  had  been  suggested  by  Mr.  Clement  Reid 
that  their  explanation  was  that  given  above.  This  the 
investigations  of  Mr.  Lewis  made  a  certainty,  at  least 
to  those  who  properly  considered  the  new  evidence. 
The  Northwest  of  England  Boulder  Committee  was 
organized  at  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  Lewis,  in  order  to 
carry  on  the  investigations  till  the  most  sceptical 
should  be  convinced.  The  invitation  to  me  to  visit 
them  was  a  part  of  their  program;  for  unfortunately 
Mr.  Lewis  died  of  typhoid  fever  when  on  his  way 
back  to  England  to  resume  his  investigations.  My 
familiarity  with  the  fields  which  Lewis  had  investigated 
in  America,  and  my  personal  knowledge  of  his  way 
of  looking  at  things,  made  it  seem  important  that  I 
should  go  over  with  the  Committee  some  of  the  typical 
fields  in  which  the  best  evidence  of  Lewis's  explanation 
was  to  be  found.  This  was  certainly  a  privilege  which 
I  could  but  highly  appreciate  and  I  availed  myself  of 


First   Visit  to  Europe  173 

ft  with  great  pleasure.  Among  the  prominent  mem- 
bers of  the  Committee  were  Percy  F.  Kendall,  C.  E. 
DeRance,  Clement  Reid,  George  W.  Lamplugh,  John 
E.  Marr,  and  Rev.  Dr.  H.  W.  Crosskey.  Pro- 
fessor Kendall  was  then  editing  a  periodical  devoted 
to  the  discussion  of  the  glacial  phenomena  of  Great 
Britain. 

After  visiting  various  typical  places  which  displayed 
the  evidence  of  the  theory,  and  making  a  trip  to  the 
glacial  boundary  in  Holland  and  to  the  fields  of  most 
archaeological  interest  in  France,  Belgium,  and  south- 
ern England,  and  traversing  the  most  important  glacial 
fields  in  Switzerland  and  northern  Italy,  we  returned 
to  attend  the  meeting  of  the  British  Association  which 
met  at  Cardiff,  Wales.  Here  I  read  a  paper  on  the 
relation  of  the  Glacial  epoch  to  the  question  of  man's 
antiquity,  and  the  subject  was  discussed  in  other  papers 
by  members  of  the  Committee.  Subsequently  I  pub- 
lished two  papers  on  the  glaciation  of  Great  Britain, 
one  in  the  Bulletin  of  the  Geological  Society  of  Amer- 
ica, the  other  in  the  American  Journal  of  Science.  Al- 
together this  summer's  trip  to  Europe  was  of  the 
greatest  value  to  me. 

This  was  especially  evident  in  the  fact  that  I  there- 
by secured  the  cooperation  of  Professor  Kendall  in 
the  preparation  of  the  volume  on  "  Man  and  the  Gla- 
cial Period,"  which  the  Appletons  published  for  me 


174  Story  of  My  Life 

late  in  that  year.  I  had  previously  been  asked  to  give 
a  second  course  of  Lowell  Institute  lectures  in  Boston, 
on  the  "  Origin  and  Antiquity  of  Man."  This  volume 
was  based  on  the  portion  of  those  lectures  which  treated 
of  glacial  man.  The  chapter  in  the  book  which 
treated  of  the  glaciers  of  Great  Britain  was  generously 
prepared  for  me  by  Professor  Kendall.  His  contribu- 
tion extends  from  page  137  to  page  181,  and  is  ac- 
companied by  a  colored  map  showing  in  more  detail 
than  had  been  done  before,  or  has  been  done  since,  the 
complicated  movements  of  the  glaciers  of  Great  Bri- 
tain. An  eminent  English  man  of  science  soon  after 
paid  me  the  compliment  of  using,  in  a  book  of  his  own 
having  only  twenty-four  illustrations,  this  map  to- 
gether with  sixteen  of  my  photographic  illustrations, 
without  the  least  acknowledgment  of  the  source  from 
which  they  came.  The  contribution  of  Mr.  Kendall's 
was  fifteen  years  ahead  of  time,  but  its  conclusions  are 
now  almost  universally  accepted.  "  Man  and  the  Gla- 
cial Period  "  was  incorporated  into  the  International 
Scientific  Series,  and  has  had  a  large  circulation,  some- 
thing like  fifteen  thousand  copies  having  been  sold,  and 
it  is  still  having  a  steady  sale.  A  second  edition  was  is- 
sued in  1894,  with  a  chapter  answering  numerous 
criticisms  which  had  appeared. 


Shipwrecked   in    Greenland  175 


CHAPTER  IX 

SHIPWRECKED  IN  GREENLAND 

IN  1894  I  had  the  privilege  of  spending  a  summer 
in  Greenland.  This  was  with  a  party  gotten  up  hy 
Dr.  Frederick  A.  Cook,  who  had  won  considerable 
reputation  for  his  report  on  the  anthropology  of  the 
Eskimos  as  a  member  of  Mr.  Peary's  first  extensive  ex- 
pedition to  the  northern  shores  of  that  continent.  Our 
party  included  several  men  of  note,  making  it  very 
instructive  and  enjoyable.  Among  the  members  were 
Mayor  George  W.  Gardner,  of  Cleveland ;  Professor 
William  H.  Brewer,  of  Yale  University;  Professor 
L.  L.  Dyche,  of  Kansas  University;  Mr.  James  D. 
Dewell,  afterwards  Lieutenant  Governor  of  Connecti- 
cut; Mr.  G.  W.  W.  Dove,  of  my  Andover  parish; 
Mr.  (now  Professor)  Samuel  P.  Orth;  my  son  Fred- 
erick, and  others.  The  expedition  met  with  many  re- 
verses, but  still  gave  large  opportunity  for  study  both 
of  the  Greenland  ice  fields,  and  of  the  social  condi- 
tions which  prevail  in  that  little-known  land. 

Our  ship,  the  Miranda,  was  not  fitted  for  contend- 
ing with  ice  fields,  being  simply  a  tramp  steamer  cov- 
ered with  a  thin  shell  of  iron.  Our  first  disaster  was 


176  Story  of  My  Life 

to  run  straight  into  an  iceberg  about  ten  miles  off  the 
Labrador  coast.  There  was  a  dense  fog  so  that  noth- 
ing could  be  seen  ahead,  and  the  vessel  was  going 
slowly,  but  with  sufficient  force  to  smash  in  the  iron 
plates  of  our  ship,  and  bring  us  to  a  sudden  halt. 
Fortunately,  the  sea  was  calm,  and  the  injury  to  the 
ship  was  above  the  water  line.  This  was  remarkable, 
since  icebergs,  such  as  the  one  encountered  by  us, 
usually  project  forward  below  the  water.  This  one, 
however,  did  not  do  so  and  the  whole  force  of  the  im- 
pact was  felt  above  the  water  line.  Great  masses  of 
ice  fell  upon  the  deck  of  the  ship,  and  marks  where 
the  paint  was  rubbed  off  from  our  prow  were  clearly 
seen  in  the  berg  as  we  slowly  backed  off  from  it.  As 
we  were  only  ten  or  twelve  miles  from  St.  Charles 
Harbor  on  the  southeast  coast  of  Labrador,  we  put  in 
safely  there  and  stayed  until  temporary  repairs  could 
be  made. 

This  gave  us  opportunity  to  explore  the  adjoining 
coast,  and  to  visit  Battle  Harbor,  the  capital  of  Labra- 
dor. Nothing  could  be  more  uninviting  than  this 
whole  region  in  summer.  What  then  must  it  be  in 
winter?  But  it  is  inhabited  by  a  courageous  and  law- 
abiding  class  of  settlers,  who  are  ready  to  welcome  the 
throngs  of  fishermen  who  come  up  from  Newfound- 
land, in  the  summer,  as  the  ice  permits.  The  great 
business  is  to  capture  the  crowds  of  seal  which  float 


Shipwrecked  in    Greenland  177 

down  on  the  ice  from  the  far  north.  We  saw,  also, 
the  skin  of  a  magnificent  white  bear  which  had  come 
thus  far  south  with  his  companions  of  the  seal  tribe. 
The  bear  had  come  on  shore  and  was  trying  to  make 
his  way  back  to  the  polar  regions  from  which  he  came, 
when  the  deep  snows  interfered  with  his  progress,  and 
he  was  easily  captured,  his  skin  being  kept  as  a  sou- 
venir. Battle  Harbor  was  merely  a  forlorn  village  on 
an  exposed  shore,  nevertheless  it  was  beginning  to  be 
made  famous  by  the  missionary  labors  of  Dr.  Gren; 
fell.  Our  experience  in  subsequently  coasting  along 
the  shore  gave  us  a  good  idea  of  the  character  of  his 
philanthropic  work,  especially  in  the  role  of  physician. 
Everywhere  we  were  met  by  fishermen  who  had  been 
disabled  and  were  in  need  of  medical  assistance  which 
their  associates  were  unable  to  give. 

After  making  temporary  repairs  it  was  necessary  tu 
return  to  St.  John's,  Newfoundland,  to  make  such 
further  repairs  as  were  necessary  if  we  continued  our 
voyage  to  the  north.  This  done,  we  worked  our  way 
slowly  through  the  magnificent  icebergs,  wrhich  glis- 
tened in  the  sunshine  from  every  side,  and  which  rose 
up  from  the  water  in  every  fantastic  shape.  In  variety 
of  form  and  beauty  of  color  the  cathedrals  of  Europe 
could  not  bear  a  comparison.  The  shallow  ice  floes 
interfered  with  our  reaching  the  coast  of  Greenland, 


178  Story  of  My  Life 

until  we  were  opposite  the  picturesque  bay  on  which 
Sukkertoppen  is  situated.  This  we  entered,  passing 
the  innumerable  islands,  with  which  it  is  dotted,  al- 
though to  enter  was  contrary  to  law ;  for,  in  order  to 
protect  the  natives  from  the  corrupting  influences  of 
visitors  from  civilized  nations,  the  Danish  government 
has  been  compelled  to  prohibit  all  intercourse  with  the 
outside  world  except  as  under  their  official  super- 
vision. But,  as  we  were  in  need  of  assistance  and  re- 
pairs, we  were  allowed  to  steam  in  and  tie  up  to  a 
huge  iron  ring,  which  was  fastened  to  the  rocky  prec- 
ipice guarding  the  settlement. 

The  two  or  three  days  of  our  stay  gave  opportunity 
for  a  portion  of  our  party  to  make  a  trip  up  the  South 
Isortok  Fiord,  which  penetrates  the  coast  about  fifty 
miles,  and  is  bordered  by  extensive  moss-covered  areas 
which  furnish  pasture  for  herds  of  reindeer.  In  the 
summer  these  fields  are  very  attractive  to  the  Eskimo, 
and  they  resort  to  them  to  spend  a  month  or  two  in 
fishing  and  hunting,  bringing  with  them  on  their  re- 
turn supplies  for  winter  consumption.  This  expedi- 
tion gave  us  our  first  view  of  the  "  ice  blink  "  oc- 
casioned by  the  reflection  of  the  sunshine  from  the 
continental  ice  sheet,  which  covers  the  interior  over  an 
area  of  500,000  square  miles.  Our  expedition  did 
not  take  us  quite  up  to  the  ice  margin,  but  we  had 
abundant  evidence  of  its  proximity,  by  the  extent  to 


Shipwrecked  in    Greenland  179 

which  the  water  was  discolored  by  the  "  glacial  milk  " 
which  issued  from  the  streams  at  the  foot  of  the  pro- 
jecting tongues  of  ice  coming  into  the  inlet  from  every 
side,  as  well  as  at  its  head.  In  front  of  one  of  these 
glacier  tongues  we  debarked  after  spending  one  night 
sleeping  on  the  luxurious  bed  of  moss  which  formed 
our  resting  place.  The  scene  was  far  from  being 
desolate.  Birds  in  innumerable  numbers  flew  over  us. 
Mosquitoes  in  dense  swarms  fell  down  on  us  and  made 
life  unendurable.  But  the  scenery  was  so  entrancing 
that  it  was  with  a  pang  of  regret  that  we  started  back 
for  our  boat. 

On  reaching  Sukkertoppen  again,  we  found  the 
steamer  all  ready  for  a  fresh  start  for  the  far  north. 
But,  alas,  in  trying  to  find  our  way  through  the  maze 
of  islands  and  reefs,  which  fill  the  bay  at  low  tide  and 
are  but  partially  revealed  at  high  tide,  we  ran  on  one 
of  the  reefs  and  severely  injured  the  bottom  of  our 
boat!  How  seriously  we  were  damaged  no  one  could 
tell.  So  there  was  nothing  for  us  to  do  but  get  back 
to  the  harbor  if  that  were  possible.  Fortunately  we 
succeeded,  and  tied  the  Miranda  again  to  the  stout 
iron  ring  which  hung  from  the  rocky  precipice  at  the 
entrance  of  the  harbor.  On  examination  it  was  de- 
cided that  it  was  not  safe  to  venture  out  to  sea  with 
her,  and  that  we  must  seek  some  other  way  of  getting 
home.  In  short  we  were  shipwrecked  on  the  inhos- 


180  Story  of  My  Life 

• 

pitable  Greenland  coast.  Dr.  Cook,  however,  was 
equal  to  the  occasion,  and  the  versatility  and  courage 
which  he  showed  in  rescuing  us,  has  ever  since  made 
us  have  confidence  in  his  statements  concerning  his  ac- 
complishments in  seeking  the  North  Pole  and  in 
climbing  Mt.  McKinley.  On  learning  that  there  was 
a  Gloucester  fishing  schooner  near  Holstenberg,  one 
hundred  miles,  or  more,  north  of  us,  Dr.  Cook  at  once 
called  for  a  few  volunteers  and  started  off  in  an  open 
boat  to  wend  his  way  along  the  coast  in  search  of  the 
help  which  this  might  afford  us.  It  was  estimated 
that  he  could  not  return  for  about  two  weeks.  This 
gave  me  opportunity  to  organize  an  expedition  for  the 
survey  of  Ikamiut  Fiord,  twenty  miles  to  the  north, 
into  which  a  tongue  of  the  inland  ice  projected.  But, 
before  starting,  we  all  wrote  letters  home  telling  our 
friends  of  our  catastrophe,  and  that  we  were  comfort- 
ably situated  and  if  wre  did  not  get  home  this  year  we 
could  be  expected  next  year.  These  letters  we  dis- 
patched by  kayaks  to  Ivigtut,  three  hundred  miles  dis- 
tant, at  the  southern  extremity  of  Greenland,  where 
we  hoped  they  would  arrive  in  time  for  the  last  vessel 
that  would  sail  for  Denmark.  These  letters  arrived  at 
their  destination  about  two  months  after  we  did. 

Our  expedition  to  Ikamiut  Fiord  met  all  my  ex- 
pectations in  every  way.  We  saw  southern  Green- 
land at  its  best,  and  worst.  We  clambered  over  the 


Shipwrecked  in    Greenland  181 

tongue  of  the  glacier  that  projected  into  the  head  of 
the  fiord.  We  saw  where  it  pushed  up  upon  the  point 
of  the  promontory  which  separated  Ikamiut  Fiord  from 
Sermilik  Fiord  (which  leads  directly  down  to  Sukker- 
toppen),  the  ice  behaving  exactly  as  a  flood  of  water 
would  do  when  meeting  a  similar  obstacle  only  as  mod- 
ified by  the  diminished  fluidity  of  ice.  We  studied 
with  interest  the  difference  between  the  appearance  of 
the  northern  slope  of  the  mountain  range  which  shut 
the  fiord  in  on  the  south,  and  that  of  the  southern  slope 
of  the  opposite  range,  from  which  the  glaciers  had  en- 
tirely disappeared.  We  saw  the  millions  on  millions 
of  birds  which  nested  in  the  clefts  of  the  rocks  border- 
ing either  side  of  the  fiord,  and  saw  native  hunters  go 
out  in  kayaks  and  scare  the  bircis  up  from  their  feeding 
places  and  with  primitive  weapons  bring  them  down  in 
sufficient  quantities  for  their  needs.  I  cannot  conceal 
my  delight  on  learning  that  my  exploration  of  this  re- 
gion was  thought  of  sufficient  importance  to  lead  the 
Danish  map  makers  who  followed  soon  after,  to  give 
my  name  to  the  nunatak  (mountain  peak)  projecting 
above  the  glacial  ice  which  comes  down  to  the  head  of 
the  fiord.  So  I  am  in  doubt  whether  to  choose  Wright 
Mountain  in  Alaska  or  Wright  Nunatak  in  Green- 
land for  my  burial  place,  since  either  of  them  would 
be  the  noblest  and  most  enduring  monument  one  could 
desire  for  his  last  resting  place. 


1 82  Story   of  My  Life 

The  insight  which  this  visit  to  Greenland  gave  me 
into  the  political,  social,  and  religious  conditions  which 
prevail  there,  was  among  the  most  valuable  of  all  the 
results  of  the  trip.  At  Sukkertoppen  we  found  in  the 
Danish  officials  and  their  families  one  of  the  most  cul- 
tivated companies  of  Europeans  that  it  has  ever  been 
my  fortune  to  meet.  The  company  consisted  of  Mr. 
Bistrup,  the  governor,  and  his  wife;  Mr.  Bauman,  the 
assistant  governor,  and  his  wife ;  three  children  of  the 
Bistrups;  and  Miss  Fausboll,  the  daughter  of  the  Pro- 
fessor of  Sanscrit  in  the  University  of  Copenhagen, 
who  was  the  governess  of  the  children.  These  had 
charge  of  four  hundred  or  more  natives  who  lived  in 
small  settlements  along  the  shore,  and  gathered,  in 
larger  numbers,  about  the  residence  of  the  officials. 
The  natives  lived  largely  on  the  products  of  the  land, 
namely,  fish,  birds,  eggs,  the  blubber  of  seal,  and  the 
half-digested  contents  of  the  seals'  stomachs.  The  of- 
ficials had  all  their  food  except  the  meat  brought  from 
Denmark,  and  they  were  compelled  to  keep  two  years' 
stores  on  hand,  to  provide  against  an  occasional  inter- 
ruption of  communication  for  a  season.  A  small  gar- 
den, made  rich  with  soil  brought  from  Denmark,  en- 
abled them  to  raise  a  few  radishes  and  some  other  such 
vegetables,  to  a  limited  extent.  But  the  warmly  pro- 
tected house  was  a  center  of  European  culture  such 
as  only  highly  educated  women  can  make.  There  was 


Shipwrecked  in    Greenland  183 

a  piano,  there  were  violins  and  other  musical  instru- 
ments, all  of  which  could  be  played  upon  with  skill 
and  effect.  There  were  books  and  magazines  in  sev- 
eral languages,  among  them  many  in  English.  Hence 
the  long  season  of  nearly  eight  months,  when  there 
was  no  communication  with  the  outside  world,  was 
filled  with  congenial  cultivation  of  the  higher  tastes 
with  which  nature  has  endowed  mankind. 

In  every  year  but  one  since  our  visit  I  have  ex- 
changed letters  with  some  member  of  this  interesting 
colony.  The  exception  was  when  ice  prevented  the  in- 
coming ship  from  home  to  return  before  the  next  year. 
The  children  that  Miss  Fausboll  was  tutoring  and  two 
other  members  of  the  family,  who  were  away  when  we 
were  there,  have  become  members  of  the  Danish  serv- 
ice in  Greenland,  or  have  entered  and  risen  to  high 
position  in  the  Danish  Navy.  The  Governor  and  his 
wife,  after' thirty  years  of  devoted  service  to  the  inter- 
ests of  their  Eskimo  wards,  returned  to  Copen- 
hagen on  a  pension  to  spend  their  declining  years  in  en- 
joyment of  the  rich  opportunities  for  gratifying  their 
cultivated  tastes,  which  the  capital  of  Denmark  affords. 
The  Century  Magazine  published,  in  September,  1911, 
a  most  interesting  article  from  Mrs.  Bistrup,  on  the 
Eskimo  Women. 

The  native  Eskimos  have  nearly  all  been  converted 
to  Christianity,  partly  through  Moravian  missionaries, 


184  Story  of  My  Life 

but  more  extensively  through  the  efforts  of  Lutheran 
clergymen  who  have  accompanied  the  Danish  officials. 
But  now  the  Moravians  have  retired  from  the  field 
and  left  the  whole  work  to  the  Danes.  The  results  of 
the  efforts  to  civilize  and  Christianize  the  natives  are 
very  interesting.  It  has  been  impossible  to  make  much 
change  in  the  general  manner  of  life  among  the  peo- 
ple; for  the  problem  of  how  to  meet  the  trying  condi- 
tions under  which  life  can  be  maintained  in  that  in- 
hospitable land  had  been  pretty  well  solved  by  the 
natives  before  the  whites  took  charge  of  them.  They 
are  still  most  comfortable  in  their  sod-covered  "  igloos." 
They  are  still  kept  warm  by  clothing  of  sealskin  and 
by  vests  of  eider  down  worn  next  to  the  skin,  and  their 
igloos  are  warmed  and  lighted  by  lamps  fed  with  the 
blubber  of  the  seal.  They  still  have  community  of 
ownership  in  many  of  the  necessities  of  life,  the  most 
conspicuous  exception  being  the  pieces  of  wood  which 
are  thrown  upon  the  shore  by  the  waves  of  the  sea. 
When  such  a  prize  has  been  found  and  placed  in  safety 
above  the  reach  of  the  tide,  it  is  regarded  as  the  most 
sacred  piece  of  private  property.  No  greater  crime  can 
be  committed  than  to  steal  such  a  piece  of  wood.  And 
well  may  this  be  so;  for  all  the  wood  they  have  for 
making  the  frames  of  their  boats,  and  for  handles  to 
their  spears  and  harpoons,  is  obtained  from  this  supply 
thrown  up  by  the  waves;  and  this  has  floated  all  the 


Shipwrecked  in    Greenland  185 

way  from  Siberia,  past  the  North   Pole,   and  around 
the  northern  shores  of  the  continent  itself. 

A  Sunday  service  at  Ikamiut  told  volumes  as  to  the 
influence  of  the  Christian  missionaries  over  the  natives. 
It  was  a  rainy  morning,  so  that  we  could  scarcely  ven- 
ture out  of  our  tent,  thus  enforcing  on  my  party  a 
stricter  observance  of  the  Sabbath  than  could  have  been 
secured  if  the  weather  had  been  propitious.  While  we 
were  eating  our  frugal  breakfast  of  griddle  cakes, 
slowly  and  imperfectly  cooked  on  a  recalcitrant  oil 
stove,  a  lean,  short  man,  clothed  in  skins,  came  to  the 
door  of  the  tent  and  pointed  to  a  book  which  he  had 
in  his  hand,  and  after  making  various  signs  as  if  some- 
thing was  going  on  near  the  boat  landing,  went  away 
and  we  could  see  no  more  of  him.  A  little  later,  on 
going  down  to  the  boats  to  look  after  them,  I  heard 
the  sound  of  voices  proceeding  from  one  of  the  mounds 
of  earth  which  we  were  told  were  the  houses  in  which 
the  colony  lived.  Following  the  direction  of  the 
sound,  I  got  down  upon  my  hands  and  knees  and,  push- 
ing my  head  against  a  small  wooden  door,  found  my- 
self in  an  outer  room,  which  was  protecting  the  main 
room  to  the  right.  Turning  in  that  direction  and 
pushing  my  head  against  another  small  door,  I  dis- 
covered the  whole  colony,  of  about  twenty  persons, 
gathered  for  a  Sunday-morning  religious  service.  On 
crawling  through  the  door,  a  place  was  made  for  me 


1 86  Story  of  My  Life 

to  sit  on  the  foot  of  the  low  sleeping  shelf,  by  turning 
up  the  furs  which  served  for  bedding.  Meanwhile  the 
services  proceeded  without  interruption.  They  were 
singing  an  Eskimo  hymn  to  a  slow  German  choral,  the 
words  of  which,  of  course,  I  could  not  understand. 
But  the  tune  was  one  which,  a  few  years  before,  I  had 
heard  sung  by  the  vast  congregation  which  weekly 
gathers  in  the  Cologne  Cathedral. 

After  the  hymn,  the  wizen-faced  little  man  who  had 
vainly  summoned  us  to  worship  as  we  were  eating 
breakfast,  read  what  I  suppose  was  a  prayer,  the 
phrases  "  Christ's  sake  "  and  "  amen  "  being  the  only 
familiar  words.  Then  followed  what  I  suppose  was 
a  sermon,  the  only  indication  to  my  mind  being  the 
strict  attention  which  the  audience  gave  to  the  reader. 
Then  followed  another  hymn,  sung  to  another  German 
choral  that  had  a  very  familiar  sound.  Thus  ended 
the  morning  service  in  that  dismal  igloo  on  that  dismal 
Sunday.  How  it  would  have  cheered  the  heart  of 
Hans  Egede,  if  he  could  have  foreseen  the  influence 
here  exhibited  of  his  devoted  but  disappointing  efforts 
to  win  the  Eskimos  to  Christianity  two  hundred  years 
before ! 

But  now  they  are  all  nominally  Christian,  observing 
all  the  Christian  ordinances,  and  sharing  with  the  most 
enlightened  and  prosperous  nations  the  last  consola- 
tions of  the  Christian  faith,  the  road  to  heaven  being 


Shipwrecked  in    Greenland  187 

as  short  from  Greenland  as  from  the  most  cultivated 
centers  of  civilization.  The  Eskimos  have  a  literature 
of  their  own,  and  publish  a  paper,  which  has  general 
circulation.  All  this  is  certainly  to  the  credit  of  the 
Danish  officials  who  protect  them  from  the  demoraliz- 
ing influence  of  the  ofrscouring  of  civilized  nations  if 
they  were  permitted  free  access  to  their  shores.  Here, 
certainly,  is  a  lesson  in  "  home  rule,"  or  rather  one  to 
show  the  limitations  of  that  much  vaunted  principle  of 
many  reformers.  Races  as  well  as  individuals  have 
their  infancy. 

Soon  after  returning  to  our  ship  from  our  ten-day 
expedition  to  Ikamiut  Fiord,  a  small  fishing  schooner, 
of  about  one  hundred  tons'  capacity,  hove  in  sight,  with 
Dr.  Cook  and  his  party  on  board.  This  was  the 
"  Rigel,"  under  command  of  Captain  George  W. 
Dixon,  of  Gloucester,  Massachusetts.  He  had  been 
out  all  summer,  fishing:  first,  off  the  coast  of  Iceland; 
and  later,  where  he  was  found  one  hundred  miles  north 
of  us,  on  the  Greenland  coast.  His  success  had  been 
rather  indifferent,  and  he  was  about  to  start  for  home 
when  hailed  by  Dr.  Cook.  With  the  generous  in- 
stincts of  a  sailor,  he  did  not  hesitate  a  moment  in  com- 
ing to  our  relief.  On  reaching  the  Miranda  and  see- 
ing the  situation,  he  threw  overboard  all  his  fishing 
tackle,  and  every  article  of  furniture,  leveled  the  fish 


1 88  Story  of  My  Life 

in  the  hold  and,  after  covering  them  with  the  salt  in 
the  ship,  spread  canvas  over  all  to  provide  a  place  in 
which  our  party  could  sleep. 

There  were  about  forty  of  us  tourists,  so  that  we 
were  pretty  well  crowded  when  all  were  transferred 
to  the  Rigel.  But  it  was  decided  that  it  was  not  safe 
for  the  Miranda  to  attempt  to  cross  Baffin  Bay  alone. 
However,  it  ventured  to  take  the  Rigel  in  tow  with 
all  of  us  on  board.  Everything  proceeded  well  until 
midnight  of  the  second  day,  when  we  were  about  three 
hundred  miles  from  harbor.  Then  a  signal  of  distress 
was  sounded  from  the  Miranda,  and  Captain  Dixon's 
voice  was  heard  ordering  all  passengers  to  keep  below, 
and  all  hands  to  come  on  deck.  I  disregarded  the 
order  to  stay  below,  and  so  was  permitted  to  witness 
a  scene  such  as  can  never  be  blotted  out  of  memory. 
The  Miranda  was  rolling  heavily  in  the  trough  of  a 
rough  sea,  showing  by  turns  the  red  color  with  which 
her  bottom  was  painted.  Meanwhile  the  captains  were 
exchanging  signals.  Captain  Farrell,  on  the  Miranda, 
asked  our  captain  to  come  up  close  "and  take  off  his 
crew.  Captain  Dixon  replied,  "  I  won't  do  it.  I  am 
near  enough  now.  If  you  go  down  you  will  draw  us 
with  you.  Put  off  your  boats  and  come  alongside." 

Meanwhile  we  were  bound  to  the  Miranda  by  a 
stout  hawser  eight  hundred  feet  long.  But  our  cap- 
tain had  a  man  stand  ready  with  an  axe  to  cut  this  if 


Shipwrecked  in   Greenland  189 

the  Miranda  should  sink.  It  seemed  an  age  before  the 
first  boatload  of  the  Miranda's  crew  reached  us,  and 
then  another  age  before  we  could  get  them  safely  on 
board  our  vessel;  for  their  boat  would  come  on  the 
crest  of  a  great  wave,  as  if  to  plunge  down  upon  us, 
and  then  move  off  again  on  top  of  another  wave.  The 
futility  of  securing  safety  to  travelers  on  the  ocean  by 
compelling  vessels  to  carry  enough  small  boats  to  hold 
all  the  passengers  and  crew  became  painfully  apparent 
when  we  saw  the  difficulty  of  transferring  even  thirty 
experienced  sailors  from  one  ship  to  another  during  a 
storm.  But,  at  length,  after  three  hours  of  anxious 
effort,  all  were  safe  on  board  the  Rigel.  The  hawser 
was  cut,  and  the  Miranda  drifted  away  in  the  mist  and 
darkness  with  its  lights  still  burning  and  the  steam 
still  pouring  out  of  its  chimneys.  What  became  of  it 
we  never  knew.  We  learned  two  years  afterwards 
that  the  insurance  company  declined  to  pay  the  loss, 
because  they  had  had  no  official  notice  that  it  had  sunk. 
None  of  us  saved  any  of  our  belongings  which  were 
left  upon  it,  and  we  made  our  way.  towards  home  with 
only  the  clothes  we  had  on  our  backs.  There  were 
now  ninety  of  us  on  board  the  Rigel,  and  we  filled 
the  schooner  from  stem  to  stern  when  we  were  all  on 
deck.  Nor  did  we  have  an  abundant  supply  of  water 
or  food.  This  was  the  less  important  to  me  and  some 
others  who  were  desperately  seasick  all  the  while. 


igo  Story  of  My  Life 

How  the  cook  managed  to  do  his  part  is  something  1 
have  never  been  able  to  comprehend ;  for  he  had  room 
in  the  forecastle  for  only  fifteen  to  eat  at  a  time,  mak- 
ing it  necessary  to  have  six  rotations  of  hungry  men 
for  each  meal.  The  whole  situation  tested  the  char- 
acter of  all ;  and  brought  out  the  weak  points  of  some, 
as  well  as  the  admirable  qualities  of  others.  The  Cap- 
tain and  his  crew  showed  to  the  best  advantage.  The 
crew  were  to  be  sharers  in  the  profits  of  the  fishing 
trip,  and  two  of  them  were  brothers  of  the  Captain. 
It  was  noticeable  that  he  never  gave  an  absolute  com- 
mand to  his  crew,  but  would  say,  "  Hadn't  you  better 
haul  down  the  topsail?  Hadn't  you  better  haul  up 
the  mainsail  ?"  and  the  topsail  came  down  and  the 
mainsail  went  up,  as  promptly  as  if  he  had  given  a 
positive  order.  But  the  crew  of  the  Miranda  had  not 
been  used  to  such  mild  language;  and  when  he  said  to 
them  at  one  time  when  they  were  smoking  in  the  hold, 
and  thus  endangering  the  vessel,  "  Hadn't  you  better 
put  your  pipes  away?  It  isn't  safe  to  smoke  here." 
and  they  kept  on  smoking,  a  thunderstorm  was  noth- 
ing to  what  followed.  He  told  them  that  if  they  did 
not  stop  smoking,  or  were  seen  to  do  it  again,  he  would 
throw  the  whole  of  them  overboard.  And  they  be- 
lieved that  he  would,  and  made  no  more  trouble. 

After  putting  in  at  two  or  three  ports  in  Labrador 
for  safety   during  storms,   and   to   get  water,   we   at 


Shipwrecked   in   Greenland  191 

length,  after  two  weeks,  reached  Sydney,  in  Nova 
Scotia,  from  which  place  we  could  communicate  with 
the  folks  at  home,  and  where  the  accommodating 
merchants  showed  no  hesitancy  in  trusting  us  for  new 
suits  of  clothing  to  replace  the  dilapidated  garments 
we  had  on.  We  all  reached  home  safe,  as  I  have  al- 
ready said,  two  months  before  the  letters  sent  from 
Sukkertoppen  came.  The  expedition,  though  un- 
fortunate in  many  respects,  was  by  no  means  a  failure. 
It  enabled  me  with  more  confidence  to  form  conclu- 
sions concerning  many  problems  connected  with  the 
Glacial  epoch.  We  had  opportunity  to  observe  that, 
vast  as  is  the  present  ice  sheet,  it  was  once  much 
larger.  The  grooves  and  scratches  on  the  mountainous 
border  of  the  continent  showed  clearly  that  the  ice 
sheet  had  formerly  covered  all  the  border  which  is  now 
inhabitable  in  southern  Greenland.  Much  was  also 
learned  about  the  way  in  which  moraines,  eskers,  and 
kames  were  formed.  One  of  the  great  mysteries,  how- 
ever, remains  unsolved.  This  is  connected  with  the 
existence  of  reindeer  in  southern  Greenland.  How 
did  the  species  get  there?  It  would  seem  impossible 
for  them  to  traverse  the  vast  ice  fields  in  northern 
Greenland,  which  now  separate  them  from  any  known 
original  habitation.  This  we  leave  for  future  light. 

About  a  year  after  returning  from  Greenland,  the 


192  Story  of  My  Life 

Appletons  published  "  Greenland  Icefields  and  Life  in 
the  North  Atlantic,  with  a  New  Discussion  of  the 
Causes  of  the  Ice  Age."  In  the  preparation  of  this 
volume  Dr.  Upham  again  cooperated  with  me,  he 
writing  the  chapters  dealing  with  the  theoretical  prob- 
lems connected  with  the  distribution  of  plants  and  ani- 
mals over  the  continent,  and  with  the  stages  of  the 
glaciation  of  North  America,  and  the  causes  of  the 
epoch.  I  still  regard  his  discussion  of  these  topics  as 
of  the  greatest  value,  and  would  refer  all  students  of 
the  subject  to  the  chapters  written  by  him,  for  light 
which  they  can  get  from  no  other  quarter.  Unfor- 
tunately the  plates  of  this  book  were  early  destroyed 
by  fire,  so  that  the  volume  has  not  had  the  circulation 
and  the  influence  which  it  deserves.  But  it  can  be 
found  in  a  wide  range  of  libraries. 


Theological  Studies  193 


CHAPTER    X 

THEOLOGICAL  STUDIES 

MEANWHILE  religious  and  theological  problems 
were  being  thrust  continually  on  my  attention.  In 
1890,  Houghton,  Mifflin  and  Company  asked  me  to 
prepare  a  life  of  President  Charles  G.  Finney  for  their 
American  Religious  Leaders  series.  This  was  pub- 
lished in  1891,  and  has  had  a  fairly  wide  sale  down  to 
the  present  time.  In  its  preparation  I  was  led  to  re- 
view thoroughly  the  literature  of  the^  so-called  New- 
England  theology,  of  which  Jonathan  Edwards  was 
the  most  noted  representative  in  the  early  stages  of  its 
development;  and  Professors  Edwards  A.  Park,  of 
Andover,  and  N.  W.  Taylor,  of  New  Haven,  Presi- 
dent Mark  Hopkins,  of  Williams  College,  and  Lyman 
Beecher  and  President  Finney  among  the  great  preach- 
ers, were  the  later  representatives.  As  this  theology 
has  so  much  to  recommend  it  to  thoughtful  minds,  and 
has  been  so  buried  out  of  sight  by  the  vague  and  jaunty 
speculations  of  the  last  few  years,  it  will  be  profitable 
to  give  a  brief  abstract  of  it,  showing  how  completely 
it  satisfies  the  demands  of  our  reasoning  faculties.  Fin- 
ney's  presentation  of  this  system  has  the  advantage  of 


194  Story  of  My  Life 

proceeding  from  one  who  had  had  a  thorough  legal 
training,  and  so  had  command  of  the  lines  of  argu- 
ment which  satisfy  men  as  they  are  immersed  in  the 
ordinary  task  of  drawing  conclusions  from  such  evi- 
dence as  is  at  hand.  As  Gladstone  has  pointed  out, 
such  a  mind  is  much  more  likely  to  reach  reasonable 
conclusions  than  is  one  whose  investigations  are  in 
some  narrow  line  out  of  the  ordinary  region  of  human 
experience.  The  demands  of  the  "  moral  law,"  as 
revealed  in  conscience,  and  the  accordance  of  these  de- 
mands with  the  revelation  in  the  Bible,  was  a  favorite 
theme  with  Finney  in  his  preaching.  At  one  time  as 
he  was  passing  through  Rochester,  New  York,  and 
stopping  over  night  with  a  friend,  the  lawyers  of  the 
city  sent  a  delegation  to  him  asking  that  he  would 
give  them  a  course  of  lectures  on  the  moral  law.  This 
he  did  with  such  effect  that  the  whole  body  of  lawyers 
in  the  city  were  not  only  persuaded  of  the  truth  of  the 
Biblical  plan  of  salvation,  but  became  active  partici- 
pants in  the  church  work  of  the  city. 

As  nearly  as  I  can  state  it  in  brief,  Finney 's  system 
is  as  follows:  The  fundamental  virtue  both  on  the 
part  of  God  and  man  is  love.  But  this  love  is  not 
mere  affection,  but  an  active  choice  of  the  "  good  of 
being  "  and  the  devotion  of  all  our  activities  to  its 
promotion.  This  proposition  is  arrived  at  not  by  rea- 
soning, but  by  intuition.  It  is  a  fundamental  affirma- 


Theological  Studies  195 

tion  of  the  human  mind.  The  ultimate  "  good  of  be- 
ing "  consists  in  the  pleasurable  feelings  and  emotions 
connected  with  sensations  of  every  sort,  from  those  of 
the  worm,  which  we  should  not  needlessly  crush  be- 
neath our  feet,  to  those  of  the  Divine  Being  in  the 
eternal  communings  of  his  nature,  and  in  contempla- 
tion of  the  creation  which  he  pronounces  "  good."  Be- 
tween these  extremes  man  occupies  an  intermediate 
place,  in  the  good  which  he  is  capable  of  experiencing. 

The  human  race  is  endowed  with  freedom  of  will. 
Man  has  a  moral  nature.  He  makes  his  own  char- 
acter. He  is  to  be  governed  according  to  his  nature. 
His  choices  cannot  be  compelled,  they  must  be  secured 
by  persuasion,  if  they  are  to  have  any  character  at  all. 
To  such  a  kind  of  government  of  man,  God  has 
pledged  himself  in  the  very  act  of  creation. 

But  it  is  evident  to  all  that  the  human  race  has  de- 
parted from  its  high  prerogatives  of  virtue  and  plunged 
into  a  warfare  with  its  higher  nature,  and  is  following 
a  line  of  self-indulgence,  in  disregard  of  the  general 
welfare.  The  extent  of  this  rebellion  against  the  law 
of  right  is  seen  in  every  man's  conscience,  which  tells 
him  that  he  has  in  ways  without  number  fallen  short 
of  his  high  prerogatives,  and  done  many  things  which 
he  ought  not  to  have  done,  and  left  undone  many 
things  which  he  ought  to  have  done.  There  is  no  man 
but  has  reason  to  be  ashamed  of  the  mean  things  both 


196  Story  of  My  Life 

in  thought  and  deed  which  he  has  done.  Further- 
more, the  extent  of  this  departure  from  the  law  of  love 
on  the  part  of  all  men  appears  in  the  universal  distrust 
which  men,  and  especially  nations,  cherish  regarding 
each  other.  The  whole  machinery  of  human  govern- 
ments illustrates  the  lack  of  confidence  which  we  have 
in  our  fellow  men.  The  courts  of  law,  the  police,  the 
jails,  the  prisons,  the  armies  and  navies  of  the  world, 
and  the  incalculable  miseries  of  mankind  caused  by 
"  man's  inhumanity  to  man,"  all  show  that  the  whole 
human  race  is  in  rebellion  against  the  law  of  love 
written  on  every  man's  heart. 

The  remedial  system  revealed  in  the  Bible  is  so  per- 
fectly adapted  to  the  wants  of  man,  that  it  bears  on  its 
very  face  evidence  of  its  truth.  As  ruler  of  mankind 
God  is  not  at  liberty  to  be  indifferent  to  the  sin  of  his 
creatures.  In  their  very  creation  God  has  bound  him- 
self to  restrain  them  from  evil  and  to  promote  their 
choices  of  good  so  far  as  he  can.  This  he  is  doing  by 
brandishing  a  flaming  sword  to  warn  them  against  evil 
(whatsoever  a  man  soweth  that  shall  he  reap)  and  by 
the  love  displayed  in  the  atoning  work  of  Christ  to  win 
them  back  to  virtue's  path.  So  clearly  were  these 
truths  pressed  home  in  Finney's  preaching,  that  they 
never  failed  to  produce  conviction  in  the  hearts  of  all 
but  the  most  hardened  of  his  congregations. 

But  Finney  did  not,  as  many  modern  apologists  are 


Theological  Studies  197 

wont  to  do,  rest  wholly  on  this  direct  evidence  of 
adaptation.  His  legal  mind  took  in  all  kinds  of  evi- 
dence. The  intellect  must  be  satisfied  by  the  presenta- 
tion of  all  the  arguments  for  the  existence,  omnipo- 
tence, omnipresence,  and  perfect  goodness  of  God ;  as 
well  as  the  evidences  on  which  the  Bible  is  shown  to 
be  a  revelation  from  God.  He  was  especially  success- 
ful in  removing  the  superficial  objections  which  are 
put  forward  by  critics  both  to  the  evidence  of  the  di- 
vine power  and  goodness  in  natural  theology  and  to 
the  historical  character  of  both  the  Old  and  the  New 
Testament.  Here  his  legal  training  showed  to  great 
advantage. 

It  cannot  be  shown  that  death  in  the  animal  crea- 
tion diminishes  the  sum  of  good  experienced  by  them. 
A  succession  of  fresh  lives  may  be  better  than  a  pro- 
longation of  those  already  existing.  The  existence  of 
sin  is  incidental  to  the  possession  by  his  creatures  or 
moral  freedom.  The  joy  connected  with  redemption 
doubtless  far  exceeds  the  misery  which  sinners  bring  on 
themselves.  Sin  furnishes  the  occasion  for  a  display 
of  divine  love  which  would  have  been  impossible  with- 
out such  an  occasion  to  draw  it  forth. 

The  "  New  School  Calvinism,"  which  lay  at  the  bot- 
tom of  all  Finney's  preaching  and  writing,  is  shorn  of 
the  objections  urged  against  that  system  in  its  ultra 
forms.  There  may  be  certainty  without  necessity.  It 


198  Story  of  My  Life 

may  be  certain  that  a  man  will  commit  murder, 
though  he  acts  as  a  free  agent,  and  is  impelled  by  no 
necessity.  It  may  be  certain  that  motives  will  prevail 
to  induce  a  benevolent  or  a  sinful  choice  without  in- 
volving any  necessity.  Thus  the  divine  mind  may 
foresee  all  things  in  the  moral  world  where  necessity 
is  excluded,  as  well  as  in  the  physical  world  where  it 
is  involved  in  every  step.  It  is  greatly  to  be  desired 
that  all  preachers  and  theologians  would  go  through 
the  whole  question  of  Christian  Evidences  as  Finney 
taught  his  pupils  and  hearers  to  do. 

Nor  did  he  rest  with  these  generalities  of  natural 
theology.  His  defense  of  the  divine  authority  of  the 
Bible  was  powerful  and  most  convincing.  Like  Judge 
Greenleaf,  he  was  able  to  marshal  the  facts  as  only  a 
lawyer  can,  and  show  that  according  to  all  the  rules 
of  evidence  which  govern  us  in  practical  affairs,  the 
Bible  is  an  authoritative  and  genuine  revelation  from 
God,  and  its  credibility  is  established  by  abundant  evi- 
dence, both  external  and  internal.  After  marshaling 
this  evidence  ("Skeletons  of  a  Course  of  Theological 
Lectures,"  Oberlin,  1840,  pp.  39-51),  he  concludes: 

"i.  If  this  testimony  does  not  establish  the  truth 
and  divine  authority  of  the  Bible,  there  is  an  end  of 
attempting  to  establish  anything  by  evidence. 

"2.     If   all    this   testimony   can   exist   and   yet   the 


Theological  Studies  199 

Bible  fail  to  be  true,  it  is  the  greatest  miracle  in  the 
universe. 

"3.  If  the  Bible  be  true,  everything  is  plain,  and 
the  whole  mystery  of  our  existence  and  circumstances 
is  explained.  If  the  Bible  is  untrue  we  are  all  afloat. 
The  existence  of  the  universe,  the  existence,  and  char- 
acter, and  destiny  of  man,  are  highly  enigmatical,  and 
we  are  left  in  the  most  distressing  darkness  and  un- 
certainty, in  regard  to  everything  which  we  need  to 
know." 

In  1896  I  was  invited  to  give  a  third  course  of 
Lowell  Institute  Lectures,  this  time  on  "  The  Scien- 
tific Aspects  of  Christian  Evidences."  These,  as  re- 
written and  enlarged,  were  published  the  next  year  by 
the  Appletons,  this  time  without  such  misgivings  about 
lack  of  interest  in  the  subject  as  determined  their  de- 
cision with  reference  to  "  The  Logic  of  Christian  Evi- 
dences "  offered  to  them  sixteen  years  before.  The 
book  has  had  a  large  and  continuous  sale  up  to  the 
present  time,  and  like  the  other  was  republished  in 
England,  and  has  been  used  more  or  less  as  a  text- 
book. As  preliminary  to  a  brief  presentation  of  the 
historical  evidences  on  which  we  accept  the  New  Testa- 
ment, giving  special  prominence  to  the  new  evidences 
which  had  been  brought  to  light  during  the  preceding 
decade,  successive  chapters  discuss  the  Limits  of 


200  Story   of  My  Life 

Scientific  Thought;  The  Paradoxes  of  Science;  God 
and  Nature;  Darwinism  and  Design;  Mediate  Mir- 
acles; and  what  constitutes  proof  "  Beyond  Reasonable 
Doubt."  In  these  preliminary  discussions  the  reader 
is  made  to  see  that  Christian  evidence  is  as  really 
scientific  as  is  that  of  any  of  the  physical  sciences,  and 
that  proof  in  one  case  is  no  more  certain  than  in  th.» 
other.  The  mysteries  underlying  the  Christian  system 
are  no  greater  than  those  which  underlie  every  system 
of  knowledge.  If  Darwinism  be  a  true  representation 
of  the  manner  in  which  species  have  come  into  exist- 
ence, it  only  increases  the  evidence  of  design ;  while 
study  of  the  miraculous  accounts  in  the  Old  Testament 
indorsed  by  Christ  .shows  that  most  of  them  are  plain 
historical  accounts  of  phenomena  brought  about  by 
physical  forces  which  could  not  have  been  understood 
or  their  action  foreknown  by  the  men  of  that  time; 
and  so  the  events  were  really  miracles  of  foreknowl- 
edge, or  prophecy.  This  subject  was  more  fully 
treated  in  a  subsequent  book  to  which  I  will  refer 
later,  entitled  "  Scientific  Confirmations  of  Old  Testa- 
ment History." 


Across  Asia  20 1 


CHAPTER  XI 

ACROSS  ASIA 

SOON  after  the  death  of  my  wife  in  1899,  my  friend 
Mr.  S.  Prentiss  Baldwin,  who  was  so  situated  that  he 
could  no  longer  accompany  me  on  extended  excursions, 
came  to  me  and  asked  what  further  expedition  I  most 
wished  to  take  to  enlarge  my  knowledge  of  the  Glacial 
epoch  and  its  archaeological  connections.  I  outlined  to 
him  one  across  Asia,  substantially  as  it  was  made  in 
1900.  He  at  once  said  to  me  that  I  might  plan  for  it 
and  take  my  son,  Frederick  Bennett,  along  for  pro- 
tection and  assistance.  Furnishing  us  with  abundant 
letters  of  credit,  he  bade  us  Godspeed  in  the  winter, 
and  we  started  by  way  of  New  Orleans,  over  the 
Southern  Pacific  railroad  to  California,  and  thence 
went  westward  across  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  Siberia, 
and  came  home  across  the  Atlantic.  The  college  gen- 
erously gave  me  a  year's  leave  of  absence,  which  was 
extended  to  fourteen  months,  with  my  salary  con- 
tinued. The  specific  object  in  view  was  to  determine 
the  extent  of  glaciation  in  central  and  northern  Asia. 
It  had  been  reported  that  Siberia,  like  northern  Alaska, 
had  never  been  covered  with  glacial  ice.  But  the  new 


2O2  Story  of  My  Life 

edition  of  Geikie's  "  Great  Ice  Age  "  contained  maps 
showing  supposed  glaciated  regions  in  eastern  Mon- 
golia and  over  the  Vitim  plateau,  east  of  Lake  Baikal. 
My  expedition  was  not  therefore,  as  some  said,  need- 
less; for,  although  what  I  found  out  had  been  com- 
monly  believed  before,  it  had  been  merely  surmised, 
not  known.  But  aside  from  settling  this  mooted  point, 
the  expedition  accomplished  much  more  in  several  di- 
rections, which  will  appear  as  an  account  of  it  is  briefly 
told. 

To  see  with  one's  own  eyes  the  wonders  of  the 
lower  Mississippi,  and  the  deserts  traversed  by  the 
Southern  Pacific  railroad ;  to  clamber  over  the  highest 
mountains  of  southern  California,  and  to  sail  out  of 
the  Golden  Horn,  were  experiences  worth  while  in 
themselves,  but  were  only  introductions  to  rarer  and 
more  wonderful  things  awaiting  us.  We  had  expected 
to  spend  a  month  in  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  my  friends 
there  having  planned  various  excursions,  and  made  ar- 
rangements for  a  series  of  lectures  on  the  Glacial 
epoch.  But  the  bubonic  plague  was  raging  when  our 
steamer  reached  Honolulu,  and  no  one  was  permitted 
to  land.  Therefore  we  were  compelled  to  lie  still  in 
the  harbor  all  day  and  satisfy  ourselves  with  looking 
out  on  the  enchanting  scenery  which  surrounds  that 
lovely  spot.  Some  of  our  friends  rowed  around  in 
sight  of  the  steamer  and  waved  their  welcome,  but 


Across  Asia  203 

that  was  all  they  were  permitted  to  do,  and  we  sailed 
on  to  the  Asiatic  coast. 

In  due  time  we  landed  at  Yokohama,  to  find  that 
the  missionaries  had  planned  an  extensive  lecturing 
tour  for  us  throughout  Japan.  The  arrangements, 
however,  were  left  to  the  Japanese  themselves,  and 
invitations  came  in  from  societies  extending  from 
Sendai  to  Okayama.  I  was  to  give  illustrated  lec- 
tures on  the  Ice  Age  in  North  America.  The  Jap- 
anese furnished  lanterns  and  operators,  and  an  inter- 
preter. At  Maebashi,  in  the  interior,  where  I  began, 
the  women  were  for  the  first  time  permitted  to  attend 
a  public  lecture.  This  was  given  in  the  high-school 
assembly  room,  and  there  were  one  thousand  in  the 
audience,  as  shown  by  the  number  of  wooden  shoes 
piled  up  at  the  entrance  of  the  hall.  A  banquet  was 
given  to  us  on  the  following  evening,  and  my  son  and 
I  were  placed  in  the  seats  of  honor.  Sixty  of  the 
prominent  citizens  paid  a  dollar  a  plate  to  share  in 
the  festivities.  All  were  seated  crosslegged  on  the 
floor,  while  beautiful  girls  brought  in  the  endless 
round  of  dishes  for  our  refreshment  and  set  them  down 
before  us  one  after  another.  The  dishes  were  mostly 
soups  with  strong  fishy  flavors.  The  guests  in  general 
had  only  chopsticks  with  which  to  get  the  soup  into 
their  mouths,  but  spoons  were  very  considerately 


204 


Story  of  My  Life 


Across  Asia  205 

brought  to  us,  and  cushions  to  relieve  our  weary  limbs. 
On  following  days  we  went  with  the  professors  of 
geology  and  natural  history  to  visit  the  crater  of  an 
extinct  volcano,  a  few  miles  away,  and  during  the 
whole  stay  had  before  us  in  full  sight  an  active  vol- 
cano, which  was  showering  dust  so  thickly  as  to  cover 
the  whole  land  with  a  thin  film.  But  this  was  com- 
monplace to  the  Japanese. 

At  Sendai  three  or  four  lectures  were  arranged  in 
the  University  hall,  and  the  mayor  of  the  city  presided, 
introducing  me,  so  I  was  told,  by  saying  that  he  con- 
sidered it  a  greater  honor  to  preside  at  such  -a  meeting 
than  to  be  mayor  of  the  city.  At  the  close  of  my  lec- 
tures there,  the  papers  contained  articles  in  high  praise 
of  me  and  my  work,  remarking  that  it  was  a  wonder- 
ful display  of  public  spirit  for  a  man  over  sixty  years 
of  age  to  circle  the  globe  for  the  purpose  of  gathering 
and  imparting  stores  of  scientific  knowledge.  But, 
true  to  their  own  principles,  they  added  that  it  was 
even"  more  wonderful  and  praiseworthy  on  the  part  of 
my  son  to  accompany  his  father  for  his  protection  and 
care.  All  these  lectures  in  Japan  were  given  without 
charge  on  my  part,  or  admission  fees  at  the  door.  But 
in  every  case  presents  of  rare  value  were  bestowed  on 
me.  At  Sendai  it  was  a  painting,  of  priceless  value, 
by  one  of  their  old  masters,  who  died  before  contact 
with  the  outside  world  had  corrupted  their  taste,  and 


206  Story  of  My  Life 

cheapened  their  art.  This  painting  reveals  more  and 
more  of  suggestive  beauty  to  the  eye  the  longer  it  is 
studied. 

At  Tokyo  the  lectures  were  before  the  National  Ed- 
ucation Society,  and  were  attended  by  a  high  class  of 
citizens  and  scholars.  Here  I  had  the  rather  annoy- 
ing, or  I  should  say  amusing,  experience  of  having  my 
lecture,  as  given  in  English,  understood  by  a  consider- 
able portion  of  the  audience,  so  that  the  jokes  with 
which  the  lecture  was  sparingly  interspersed  would 
produce  two  ripples  of  laughter  a  short  distance  apart. 
At  Tokyo,  I  was  asked  to  give  a  special  lecture  to  the 
ladies  of  high  rank.  This  introduced  me  to  the  in- 
terior of  one  of  the  most  elegant  Japanese  houses, 
where  the  lecture  was  held.  The  audience  was  as  dis- 
tinguished and  elegant  as  the  house,  the  daughter  of 
the  late  Tycoon  being  one  of  the  auditors.  I  could 
not  see  but  the  ladies  appreciated  the  lecture  as  well 
as  the  members  of  the  University  did. 

Other  lectures  were  given  in  Yokohama,  Kyoto, 
Kobe,  Osaka,  and  Okayama.  In  every  place  they  were 
received  with  enthusiasm.  The  genuineness  of  their 
appreciation  was  witnessed  by  the  fact  that  I  am  one 
of  the  three  or  four  foreigners  elected  to  membership  in 
the  Imperial  Education  Society  of  Japan.  Altogether 
I  had  unusual  opportunities  to  get  an  insight  into  the 


Across  Asia  207 

Japanese  efforts  to  assimilate  Western  civilization. 
The  professors  of  natural  science  with  whom  I  came 
in  contact,  and  with  whom  I  made  scientific  excur- 
sions, were  remarkably  well-informed  respecting  the 
geology  and  natural  history  of  foreign  countries  as 
well  as  of  their  own.  They  knew  the  literature  of 
European  and  American  science  as  fully  as  the  average 
professors  in  those  countries  know  it.  This  wealth  of 
knowledge  was  associated  with  a  childlike  simplicity 
of  character  that  was  charming. 

After  taking  an  extended  trip  with  one  of  the  teach- 
ers of  geology  in  Maebashi,  I  accompanied  him  in  his 
ride  on  the  railroad  to  his  home  for  a  vacation.  We 
were  much  of  the  time  alone  together  in  the  car,  and 
our  ingenuity  was  taxed  to  keep  up  the  conversation 
with  our  imperfect  knowledge  of  each  other's  language. 
At  length  my  friend  took  out  from  his  traveling  bag 
a  carefully  wrapped  package,  which  I  supposed  at  first 
to  be  cigarettes,  but  instead  it  was  a  mouth  organ,  on 
which  he  proceeded  to  play  a  number  of  familiar  Sun- 
day-school airs.  Among  them  was  the  old  tune  that 
I  had  learned  in  my  childhood,  "  There  is  a  happy 
land."  When  he  found  that  I  knew  the  tune,  he  was 
very  anxious  to  get  the  words.  So  I  racked  my  brain 
to  recall  them.  This  I  did  to  the  extent  of  at  least 
two  stanzas,  which  I  carefully  wrote  out  for  him.  He 


208  Story  of  My  Life 

said  he  wanted  to  teach  them  to  his  brothers  and  sis- 
ters whom  he  was  to  see  on  his  vacation. 

Speaking  of  cigarettes  reminds  me  that  we  were 
there  when  a  vigorous  effort  was  being  made  to  pro- 
hibit their  use  by  the  school  children.  The  move  be- 
gan a  short  time  before,  among  the  teachers,  who 
organized  total  abstinence  societies  among  the  pupils, 
pledging  them  not  to  smoke  as  long  as  they  were  in 
school.  The  inconsistency  of  urging  this  reform  while 
the  teachers  themselves  were  freely  indulging  the 
habit,  was  so  apparent  that  the  most  of  them  also  took 
the  pledge  with  their  pupils.  This  led  to  the  promul- 
gation of  a  law  prohibiting  the  use  of  cigarettes  by 
school  children.  But  tobacco  was  widely  used  by  the 
people  in  general,  and  was  advertised  most  profusely 
in  every  available  way.  I  was  impressed  by  one  in- 
cident, showing  how  the  best  intentions  of  reformers 
sometimes  miss  the  mark.  The  head  of  the  Japanese- 
American  tobacco  trust  was  induced  to  go  into  the 
business  on  this  wise.  When  a  young  man  he  was 
taken  ill,  and  while  convalescing  in  a  missionary  hos- 
pital, was  supplied  with  tracts  of  various  kinds  in- 
tended to  promote  good  morals  and  habits,  as  well  as 
to  impart  the  knowledge  of  Christianity.  Among 
them  were  a  number  detailing  the  evil  effects  of  the 
use  of  tobacco,  of  which  not  the  least  was  its  expen- 
siveness.  Figures  were  freely  given  showing  the 


Across  Asia  209 

enormous  amount  annually  spent  on  the  noxious  weed. 
These  figures  impressed  him  vfiry  deeply,  and  his  con- 
clusion was  that  where  there  was  such  a  great  demand 
there  must  be  an  attractive  opening  for  business.  Into 
this,  therefore,  he  entered  and  became  immensely  pros- 
perous. But  he  never  could  forget  the  favor  which  the 
tract  distributors  had  bestowed  upon  him,  and  so  was 
ever  afterwards  a  generous  contributor  to  the  mission- 
ary society  that  had  unintentionally  directed  him  to  a 
lucrative  occupation. 

t 

While  in  Japan,  Baron  Rosen,  the  Russian  ambas- 
sador, on  learning  of  our  intention  to  traverse  Siberia 
for  scientific  purposes,  requested,  through  our  ambas- 
sador, Mr.  Buck,  an  interview  with  us.  On  meeting 
him  we  found  him  much  interested  in  America,  he 
having  been  at  different  times  connected  with  lega- 
tions both  of  Mexico  and  of  the  United  States.  His 
main  object  in  wishing  to  see  us  was  to  induce  us  to 
go  through  Manchuria  on  our  way  to  Siberia.  The 
Chinese  Eastern  railroad,  leading  from  Port  Arthur 
to  Harbin,  was  then  only  partially  built,  but  the  whole 
was  under  construction,  and  engineers  with  their  corps 
of  assistants  were  scattered  all  along  the  line,  so  that 
we  could  safely  traverse  the  country  under  their  pro- 
tection and  guidance.  He  offered  to  facilitate  our 
investigation  of -the  line  by  giving  us  letters  of  intro- 


2IO  Story  of  My  Life 

duction  and  recommendation  to  Admiral  Alexieff,  sta- 
tioned at  Port  Arthur,"  and  then  the  ranking  admiral 
in  the  foreign  fleets  in  Asiatic  waters;  and  to  Colonel 
of  Staff  Samoieoff,  stationed  then  at  Khabarovsk. 
Furnished  with  these  letters  (of  which  more  anon)  we 
set  out  for  China. 

We  had  intended  to  sail  on  a  Japanese  steamer 
which  went  by  way  of  Korea,  but  as  this  vessel  was 
sunk  during  a  storm,  we  took  one  from  Nagasaki,  by 
way  of  Shanghai.  Nothing  could  be  more  entrancing 
than  the  preliminary  sail,  from  Kobe,  through  the  east- 
ern channel,  among  its  countless  islands,  with  the 
snow-covered  cone  of  Fujiyama  rising  above  the  ex- 
tended mountain  chain  which  constitutes  the  backbone 
of  the  larger  islands  forming  the  western  skyline.  We 
passed  by  the  mouths  of  the  coal  mines  at  which  the 
steamers  take  their  supply  of  fuel,  and  had  oppor- 
tunity to  see  the  contrast  between  Japanese  methods 
and  our  own.  In  Japan  the  coal  is  all  carried  aboard 
in  baskets  passed  along  a  line  from  hand  to  hand, 
women  with  babes  in  their  arms  taking  their  turns 
indiscriminately  with  the  men.  So  cheap  is  labor  in 
Japan,  that  this  is  the  most  economical  way  of  loading. 
Besides,  they  say  it  is  better  distributed  by  this  method 
than  by  machinery. 

After  a  brief  stay  in  Shanghai,  our  vessel  went  along 
as  near  the  shore  as  the  depth  of  the  water  permitted, 


Across  Asia  211 

to  Chefoo.  A  striking  feature  of  this  part  of  the  jour- 
ney is  the  evidence  of  the  immense  amount  of  sediment 
that  is  brought  into  these  seas  by  the  great  rivers  which 
traverse  northern  China.  The  Hwangho  and  the 
Yang-tze-Kiang  come  down  to  the  sea  loaded  with 
silt  as  dense  as  that  in  the  Missouri  or  the  lower  Jor- 
dan. This  silt  discolors  the  water  out  to  a  distance 
of  many  miles,  and  as  it  settles  is  producing  shallows, 
which  eventually  become  tidal  beaches  and  finally  dry 
land.  Thus  a  wide  belt  of  productive  soil  has  been 
added  to  China  since  the  historical  period.  Tientsin, 
now  twenty  miles  from  the  sea,  was  originally  a  sea- 
port. All  this  is  connected  with  the  problem  of  the 
"loess,"  the  study  of  which  was  our  principal  reason 
for  going  to  China.  But  the  sharp  line  of  demarca- 
tion separating  the  silt-laden  water  brought  down  by 
the  Chinese  rivers  from  that  of  the  open  ocean  cannot 
fail  to  attract  the  attention  of  even  the  most  unob- 
servant traveler.. 

Chefoo,  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  was  a  center  of 
great  activity,  both  native  and  foreign.  But  from  re- 
ports, the  effects  of  the  use  of  opium  on  the  native 
merchants,  many  of  whom  had  acquired  great  wealth, 
only  to  spend  it  in  the  use  and  abuse  of  this  noxious 
drug,  were  deplorable.  Missionary  enterprise  was 
everywhere  evident  here.  The  China  Inland  Mission 
had  a  large  and  excellent  school  where  the  children  of 


212  Story  of  My  Life 

missionaries  were  receiving  their  education.  The  in- 
genuity of  the  Presbyterian  missionaries  in  getting  the 
attention  of  the  Chinese  was  impressive.  As  the 
Chinese  were  very  anxious  to  learn  about  Western 
ways  of  accomplishing  work  by  labor-saving  machin- 
ery, an  enterprising  missionary  had  gathered  together 
in  a  museum  models  of  every  sort  of  machinery  used 
in  the  Western  world,  together  with  natural  history 
specimens,  and  the  Chinese  were  invited  to  inspect  the 
objects  to  their  hearts'  content;  the  only  condition  be- 
ing that,  to  reach  the  museum,  they  pass  through  a 
chapel,  where  they  were  detained  a  half  hour  or  so  to 
hear  a  gospel  sermon.  In  this  way  the  gospel  was 
preached  to  multitudes  who  could  have  been  induced  in 
no  other  way  to  give  attention  to  it. 

From  Chefoo  we  steamed  to  Taku,  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Pei-ho,  where  we  anchored  some  distance  from  the 
shore  on  account  of  the  shallow  water  occasioned  by 
the  rapid  silting-up  of  the  bay  already  referred  to. 
From  here  we  were  transferred  to  Tientsin  on  a  rail- 
road which  had  recently  been  built.  Previous  to  its 
building,  all  transportation  to  and  from  the  gulf  had 
been  through  the  tortuous  stream.  Huge  piles  of  salt, 
made  from  sea  wrater  by  government  agents,  were  con- 
spicuous evidence  of  the  government's  plan  of  collect- 
ing revenue  through  monopoly  of  this  necessary  article 
of  consumption.  Tientsin  itself  has  its  permanent 


A cross  Asia  213 

future  insured  by  its  being  both  the  terminus  of  the 
great  Chinese  canal,  which  brings  to  market  the  rich 
products  of  the  Hwangho  Valley,  and  the  point  from 
which  supplies  are  transported  to  Peking  up  the  Pei- 
ho,  via  Tung-chau.  At  the  time  of  our  reaching  the 
place,  everything  was  running  smoothly,  and  the  city 
was  bustling  with  all  sorts  of  commercial  activities.  I 
was  specially  interested  in  a  technological  school  which 
had  been  established  by  Li  Hung  Chang,  and  put  un- 
der the  direction  of  Mr.  Charles  D.  Tenney.  This 
was  filled  with  students  picked  from  different  parts  of 
the  Empire,  all  of  whom  were  fitting  themselves  to 
take  part  in  the  material  development  of  China,  which 
every  one  thought  was  to  take  place  in  a  short  time. 
I  was  invited  to  address  them  on  geological  subjects, 
and  found  a  most  responsive  audience,  the  most  of 
whom  could  understand  English.  A  single  incident 
speaks  volumes  concerning  the  social  conditions  of 
China.  Mrs.  Tenney  asked  if  she  could  not  attend 
the  lecture,  but  was  told  that  on  no  condition  could 
she  do  it  without  practically  breaking  up  the  school, 
so  fixed  was  the  prejudice  at  that  time  against  having 
women  attend  public  places  with  men. 

From  Tientsin  we  went  to  Peking  by  the  railroad 
which  had  been  recently  opened — a  distance  of  about 
eighty  miles,  through  a  barren,  sandy  country.  But 


214  Story  of  My  Life 

the  railroad  was  not  then  permitted  to  approach  nearer 
than  a  mile  of  the  city.  Here  we  were  transferred  to 
an  electric  road,  which  took  us  to  the  city  wall,  but  no 
farther.  The  city  would  have  been  desecrated  by  its 
entrance  into  the  sacred  precincts.  But  all  this  is  now 
changed.  On  our  way  we  met  a  gorgeous  funeral 
procession ;  but  we  did  not  make  the  mistake  made  by 
Secretary  Seward  when  he  met  such  a  procession  on  his 
approach  to  the  city.  He  thought  it  must  be  designed 
to  show  honor  to  him,  and  so  stood  still  and  with 
uncovered  head  continued  to  bow  his  recognition  until 
it  was  past — much  to  the  astonishment  of  the  Chinese. 
Once  within  the  walls,  we  were  taken  by  jinrikishas  to 
the  compound  occupied  by  Rev.  W.  S.  Ament,  one  of 
the  missionaries,  who  was  to  entertain  us  and  help  us 
to  prepare  for  a  journey  into  the  interior. 

The  streets  of  Peking  at  that  time  were  the  most 
filthy  and  dismal  thoroughfares  imaginable.  There 
were  no  closed  sewers,  and  often  the  sewage  flowed 
through  the  street  itself.  But  the  "  compounds,"  as 
they  were  called,  where  the  better  class  of  the  citizens 
resided,  were  separately  surrounded  with  walls,  which 
shut  out  all  disagreeable  sights,  and  inclosed  flower 
gardens,  making  them  very  attractive  places  for  resi- 
dence. Thus  the  city  was  made  to  cover  an  immense 
area,  in  order  to  accommodate  its  vast  population  of 
official  and  well-to-do  classes.  As  time  was  rapidly 


Across  Asia  21 5 

passing  we  were  anxious  to  get  into  the  interior  as 
soon  as  possible,  so  as  not  to  be  too  much  delayed  in 
beginning  our  journey  across  Siberia.  Our  missionary 
friends  joined  in  the  effort  to  help  on  our  plans,  by 
making  for  us  in  very  short  order  the  mattresses  and 
quilts  which  we  would  need,  both  in  a  caravan  jour- 
ney into  China,  and  on  the  Siberian  trip.  Meanwhile, 
Mr.  Pokateloff,  the  accommodating  and  courtly  Rus- 
sian agent  of  the  Chinese  Eastern  Bank  (who  died 
shortly  afterwards  as  Russian  Ambassador),  supplied 
us  with  money  on  our  letters  of  credit,  and  we  went 
to  a  Chinese  banker  and  transformed  what  was  neces- 
sary into  "  cash  "  and  silver  bars.  The  "cash  "  were 
copper  coins  with  a  square  hole  in  the  middle,  and  of 
such  small  value  that  a  silver  dollar  was  worth  fifteen 
hundred  of  them.  Hence  their  very  bulk  prevented 
taking  a  sufficient  supply  to  last  long.  So,  when  we 
reached  a  city  of  size  enough  to  have  a  bank,  we  would 
find  the  banker  and  have  him  chop  off  a  piece  of  silver, 
which  he  would  weigh  and  then  give  its  value  in  fresh 
cash.  These  pieces  of  cash  had  also  much  of  historic 
and  antiquarian  interest,  since  it  was  unlawful  to  de- 
stroy a  coin  with  the  imperial  stamp  on  it.  Some  of 
the  cash  which  came  into  our  possession  were  fifteen 
hundred  years  old. 

Another  preliminary  that  must  not  be  forgotten  was 
to  get  our  passports  "  viseed."     Our  ambassador,  Mr. 


216  Story  of  My  Life 

Conger,  obligingly  took  them  over  to  the  Chinese  of- 
ficials, and  after  due  time  they  were  returned,  covered 
all  over  with  Chinese  characters,  which  we  were  told 
gave  us  the  freedom  of  all  northeastern  China,  and  of 
Mongolia  and  Manchuria.  These  have  been  framed 
and  preserved  as  curiosities  to  ornament  our  library 
shelves. 

Here  I  must  pause  to  relate  another  of  the  many 
providential  deliverances  which  intervened  to  make 
our  trip  a  success,  or  rather  to  save  it  from  disastrous 
failure.  Our  special  object  was  to  study  the  vast  de- 
posits of  loess  which  cover  portions  of  northeastern 
China.  There  were  two  localities  within  reach  where 
this  co'uld  be  done  with  prospects  of  success,  one  was 
in  the  province  of  Shansi,  the  other  in  the  vicinity  of 
Kalgan.  Shansi  really  offered  the  better  field;  and, 
besides,  ten  or  twelve  of  my  pupils  were  located  there 
in  the  mission  which  had  been  organized  by  Oberlin 
students.  The  pressure  was  very  strong  to  induce  us 
to  go  there,  and  both  study  the  loess,  which  covers  the 
whole  region  in  unequaled  quantities,  and  renew  my 
acquaintance  with  my  pupils  and  perhaps  cheer  them 
in  their  lonely  situation.  But,  if  we  went  in  that  di- 
rection, the  time  required  would  be  about  two  weeks 
longer  than  if  we  went  to  Kalgan,  and  that  would 
interfere  with  the  latter  part  of  our  trip,  so  we  turned 
a  deaf  ear  to  the  entreaties  to  visit  Shansi.  As  it  turned 


Across  Asia  217 

out,  all  our  missionaries  in  Shansi  were  massacred  dur- 
ing the  Boxer  revolution,  and  we  would  have  been  of 
the  number  if  we  had  gone  there. 

It  is  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles  from  Peking  to 
Kalgan.  To  make  the  trip  then,  there  was  no  way  to 
do  but  to  organize  a  caravan.  Ours  consisted  of  four 
mules  and  two  donkeys  with  two  drivers,  and  a  half- 
educated  Chinese  from  the  mission  to  act  as  cook  and 
interpreter.  Our  bedding,  food,  and  other  luggage 
were  piled  upon  the  mules,  and  we  surmounted  all 
and  rode  there  as  comfortably  as  we  could,  when  not 
astride  of  one  of  the  donkeys,  which  were  so  small 
that  our  feet  almost  touched  the  ground. 

When  night  came  we  sought  the  shelter  of  Chinese 
inns,  which  were  usually  kept  by  Mohammedans — in- 
deed the  Mohammedans  controlled  all  the  caravans 
and  caravansaries  in  this  part  of  China,  and  it  was  well 
for  travelers  that  they  did,  for  they  were  more  cleanly 
in  their  habits  than  were  the  other  Chinese.  The  inns 
were  simply  large  inclosures,  around  two  sides  of 
which  were  small  rooms  for  guests,  with  a  large 
kitchen  where  our  cook  could  prepare  food  for  us. 
The  sleeping  places  were  what  are  called  "  karigs,"  i.  e., 
brick  platforms,  two  or  three  feet  high,  under  which 
ran  the  flue  which  carried  off  the  smoke  and  surplus 
heat  from  the  kitchen  fire.  This  added  to  the  comfort 


21 8  Story  of  My  Life 

in  cool  weather,  but  had  the  disadvantage  of  keeping 
the  insects  which  infested  the  quarters  alive  and  active. 
Sometimes,  also,  there  were  no  divisions  between  the 
sleeping  quarters,  and  we  had  to  content  ourselves  with 
marking  off  space  for  ourselves  on  the  long  platform, 
which  was  open  to  all  comefs,  and  was  one  with  the 
kitchen.  -There  were  no  glass  windows,  but  in  their 
place  glazed  paper,  through  which  the  Chinese  women 
were  accustomed  to  punch  holes  with  their  fingers,  so 
that  their  children,  held  in  arms,  might  look  in  and  see 
the  "  foreign  devils,"  as  we  were  called. 

The  poverty  that  met  us  all  along  was  heart-rend- 
ing. The  country  is  entirely  stripped  of  its  forests, 
and  the  chief  fuel  to  be  had  was  the  roots  of  last  year's 
millet  and  sorghum,  which  were  carefully  grubbed  up 
and  collected,  and  the  droppings  of  animals  that  passed 
along  the  road.  Men  and  boys  would  often  follow 
us  for  miles  to  collect  this  material.  Stalks  of  millet  and 
sorghum  were  also  used  by  the  well-to-do  classes.  We 
saw  brick  kilns  where  this  was  the  only  fuel  for  the 
fires  which  were  required.  In  other  places,  however, 
the  mountain  sides  were  scoured  by  the  poor  peasants 
in  search  of  seedlings  of  trees  of  two  or  three  years' 
growth,  which  were  to  be  found  in  protected  crannies. 
Numbers  of  these  peasants  could  be  seen  towards  night- 
fall returning  with  a  small  bunch  upon  their  shoulders, 
for  which  they  would  receive  a  few  cents.  At  Shi- 


Across  Asia  219 

wantse  we  saw  an  immense  pile  of  such  material  ready 
to  feed  the  fires  of  a  brick  kiln. 

Our  first  bill  at  a  Chinese  inn  was  1,350  cash, 
which  paid  for  the  lodging  of  four  persons,  and  a  por- 
tion of  their  food,  and  for  the  feed  of  the  animals.  In 
gold  currency  this  was  about  sixty  cents,  or  fifteen 
cents  apiece.  At  every  inn  where  we  stopped  there 
would  be  a  noisy  altercation  between  our  interpreter 
and  the  innkeeper  just  as  we  were  mounted  and  ready 
to  start.  It  would  be  claimed  that  some  item  amount- 
ing to  twenty  or  twenty-five  cash  had  been  overlooked, 
and  this  sum  would  be  demanded.  Usually  a  com- 
promise was  made,  and  we  were  permitted  to  go  en 
by  paying  an  additional  ten  or  twelve  cash. 

Characteristics  of  the  Chinese  are  well  illustrated 
by  an  incident  which  occurred  at  one  of  these  inns  the 
year  before,  when  Rev.  Mark  Williams,  one  of  the 
missionaries  accompanying  us  from  Kalgan,  was  pass- 
•  ing  over  the  route.  Just  as  their  party  were  emerg- 
ing from  the  inn  into  the  highway  they  encountered  a 
Chinaman  driving  a  donkey,  loaded  with  a  pannier  of 
some  kind  of  grain  on  each  side.  A  frisky  mule  of 
Mr.  Williams'  party  suddenly  threw  up  his  heels  and 
knocked  the  grain  into  the  dusty  road.  Thereupon  the 
owner  of  the  grain  vigorously  protested  and  demanded 
recompense.  But  while  the  altercation,  which  was  ac- 
companied by  threatening  attitudes  on  the  part  of  both 


220  Story  of  My  Life 

the  owner  of  the  donkey  and  the  guide  of  the  party, 
was  going  on,  friendly  bystanders  scooped  up  the  grain 
with  their  hands  and  returned  it  to  the  panniers, 
mingled  with  so  much  dust  that  they  were  fuller  than 
before.  On  seeing  this  the  owner  ceased  to  demand 
indemnity  but  contented  himself  with  asking  for  an 
apology.  This  was  refused  on  the  ground  that  it  \va^ 
the  nature  of  a  mule  to  kick,  and  consequently  it  was 
to  be  expected  that  he  would  do  so.  While  the  alter- 
cation was  continuing,  the  mule  himself  got  free  and 
lay  down  and  rolled  in  the  dust.  This  was  satisfac- 
tory. The  aggrieved  one  said,  "The  mule  has  apol- 
ogized, the  mule  has  apologized,  it  is  enough,"  and, 
shaking  hands  with  the  guide,  wished  the  party  a  safe 
journey. 

Between  the  plain  on  which  Peking  is  built  and  the 
borders  of  Mongolia  there  are  three  parallel  chains  of 
mountains  running  northeast  by  southwest.  When  we 
set  out  on  our  journey  on  the  ninth  of  May  this  moun- 
tain range,  which  had  the  appearance  of  the  walls  of 
a  vast  amphitheater,  rising  from  4,000  to  7,000  feet 
in  height,  was  covered  with  freshly  fallen  snow.  As 
the  peaks,  about  fifteen  miles  distant,  were  glistening 
in  the  sunshine  of  a  clear  day,  they  presented  a  scene 
which  I  had  never  seen  equaled  except  in  northern 
Italy.  But  alas,  at  the  time  we  were  gazing  with 


Across  Asia  221 

rapture  upon  the  scene,  we  knew  that  hundreds  of 
pilgrims  who  had  gone  in  holiday  attire  to  these 
mountain  heights  to  worship  on  a  festal  day  were  per- 
ishing from  the  effects  of  the  storm! 

The  pass  across  the  first  range  of  mountains  out 
from  Peking  begins  at  Nankao,  about-  twenty  miles 
from  the  city,  and  extends  fifteen  miles  to  Shadou,  ris- 
ing there  to  a  plain  which  is  2,500  feet  above  the  sea. 
The  gorge  is  exceedingly  picturesque,  not  only  by  rea- 
son of  its  natural  scenery  but  still  more  because  there 
is  crowded  into  it  the  traffic  of  all  Mongolia  on  the 
way  to  Peking.  The  procession  of  pack  animals  did 
not  seem  to  cease  day  or  night.  We  made  the  pas- 
sage after  sunset  by  moonlight.  We  counted  960 
camels  which  we  either  met  or  passed  on  the  road, 
while  there  were  numerous  inns  where  uncounted 
numbers  of  pack  animals  were  recuperating  for  an 
early  start  in  the  morning. 

The  reason  for  our  night  journey  through  the  pass 
was,  that  during  the  day  we  had  made  a  detour  to 
visit  the  Ming  Tombs,  which  are  situated  at  the  base 
of  the  mountains,  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  northeast  of 
Nankao.  These  tombs  are  justly  celebrated  for  the 
situation  chosen  for  them,  and  for  the  grandeur  of  the 
scale  on  which  everything  related  to  them  is  con- 
structed. Considered  from  any  point  of  view,  they 
contradict  the  prevalent  impression  that  the  aesthetic 


222  Story  of  My  Life 

element  is  largely  lacking  in  Chinese  nature.  The 
tombs  are  situated  in  a  vast  amphitheater  in  the  snow- 
clad  mountains  towards  which  we  had  been  riding  for 
the  greater  part  of  the  day.  The  access  to  this  h 
through  an  opening  about  three  miles  wide,  partially 
closed  by  hills  of  upturned  rocky  strata  several  hun- 
dred feet  in  height.  Across  the  entrance  was  a  high 
wall,  now  mostly  in  ruins,  running  far  up  on  the 
mountain  sides.  At  this  entrance  there  begins  a 
grand  succession  of  gateways,  arches,  bridges,  built 
of  marble,  and  avenues  of  gigantic  statues  of  animals 
and  men,  each  carved  from  a  single  piece  of  stone 
which  must  have  been  brought  from  a  distance. 
Among  the  animal  sculptures,  of  which  there  were  two 
on  each  side,  were  horses,  camels,  elephants,  and  grif- 
fins, followed  by  heroic  statues  first  of  soldiers  and 
then,  most  honorable  of  all,  scholars  with  their  scho- 
lastic robes  upon  them.  An  immense  mausoleum 
closes  up  the  avenue  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain. 
This  is  where  the  first  Ming  emperor  was  buried  more 
than  five  hundred  years  ago.  Everything  about  the 
building  is  on  a  gigantic  scale,  while  the  details  of  the 
work  invite  the  closest  inspection.  The  principal 
room  of  the  Confucian  temple  within  the  inclosure  is 
22O  feet  long,  100  feet  wide,  and  fully  50  feet  high. 
In  rear  of,  and  surmounting  all,  is  a  forest-covered 
mound  about  two  hundred  feet  in  height  where  it  is 


Across  Asia  223 

presumed  the  mortal  remains  of  the  first  emperor  are 
deposited.  There  are  thirteen  similar  monumental 
tombs  in  different  portions  of  the  amphitheater.  Al- 
together nature  and  art  have  here  conspired  to  make 
this  one  of  the  most  impressive  burial  places  in  all  the 
world.  It  is  noteworthy  that  the  revolutionary 
Manchu  dynasty  which  succeeded  the  Ming  emperors 
continued  to  keep  these  tombs  in  repair  and  to  main- 
tain the  ancestral  worship  at  their  shrines. 

The  inherent  love  of  the  Chinese  for  the  beautiful 
is  touchingly  shown  in  the  regard  which  the  common 
people  have  for  birds.  The  plains  of  northeastern 
China  and  of  Mongolia  are  rendered  jubilant  in  the 
spring  by  innumerable  meadow  larks,  which  soar  and 
sing  even  better  than  their  relatives  do  in  England. 
Everywhere,  also,  on  the  road  to  Kalgan,  we  found 
these  beautiful  birds  confined  in  cages  and  most  ten- 
derly cared  for  by  their  owners.  Outside  the  walled 
cities,  men  and  boys  were  seen  bringing  their  pet  birds 
to  enjoy  the  air  and  sunshine.  Peasants  hoeing  in  the 
field  had  these  pets  with  them,  to  beguile  the  weary 
hours  of  labor  while  shifting  from  one  row  to  the 
other,  and  little  naked  boys  had  their  birds  so  trained 
that  they  could  carry  them  around  the  streets  perched 
on  their  fingers.  It  was  also  a  frequent  occurrence  to 
meet  a  foot  peddler  balancing  upon  the  pole  over  his 
shoulders  a  lot  of  bird  cages  at  one  end  and  of  flow- 


224  Story  of  My  Life 

ering  plants  at  the  other.  A  Chinese  flower  garden, 
if  only  one  gets  admission  to  it,  is  an  object  of  beauty 
ever  to  be  remembered.  It  is  only  the  hard  condi- 
tions of  life  in  a  country  overcrowded  with  popula- 
tion which  make  the  Chinese  seem  lacking  in  esthetic 
inclinations. 

J 

Beyond  the  Nankao  pass  the  road  crosses  diagonally 
the  Gui-ho  Valley  and  ascends  the  Yang-ho  to  the 
second  range  of  mountains  at  Shiming,  the  distance  be- 
ing about  forty  miles.  In  this  valley  loess  appears  in 
increasing  quantities,  especially  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
mountains,  where  the  travel  had  often  worn  paths 
twenty-five  or  thirty  feet  deep  in  the  loess,  with  per- 
pendicular inclosing  walls  on  either  side.  Across  the 
Shiming  Mountains  the  Yang-ho  has  forced  its  way 
through  a  picturesque  gorge,  which  the  road  follows 
in  many  places  along  a  narrow  pathway  cut  in  the 
face  of  precipitous  rocks.  Everywhere  the  procession 
of  pack  animals  continued,  being  increased  beyond  the 
Shiming  range  by  long  trains  of  mules  and  donkeys 
carrying  coal  on  their  backs  to  regions  beyond.  Don- 
keys were  often  seen  carrying  panniers  of  coal  destined 
for  Kalgan,  sixty  miles  away.  At  last,  on  the  fifth  day 
out  from  Peking,  in  the  midst  of  a  blinding  dust  storm 
lasting  many  hours,  the  terrors  of  which  baffle  de- 
scription, we  reached  Kalgan,  the  gateway  to  Mon- 


Across  Asia  225 

golia  and  all  Central  Asia,  and  were  warmly  greeted 
by  the  missionaries,  Rev.  Mark  Williams  and  Rev. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sprague.  (Since  that  time  a  railroad 
has  been  built  to  Kalgan  and  the  journey  from  Peking 
can  be  made  in  a  single  day,  without  discomfort.) 
After  a  Sunday's  rest  at  the  compound  of  the  mis- 
sion, and  another  day  spent  in  visiting  the  interesting 
localities  in  the  vicinity,  and  in  forming  the  acquaint- 
ance of  the  Russian  officials,  we  were  ready  for  an 
excursion  beyond  the  outer  Chinese  wall  and  the  high 
border  of  the  vast  plateau  which  occupies  the  interior 
of  the  continent.  It  was  gratifying  to  find  the  most 
cordial  relations  existing  between  the  Russian  officials 
and  our  missionaries.  Indeed,  the  Russians  had  paid 
half  the  salary  of  the  lady  missionary  physician,  who 
had  been  some  years  at  the  station.  On  her  departure 
from  Kalgan  much  regret  was  expressed,  and  the  Rus- 
sian ambassador  at  Peking  wrote  her  a  most  cordial 
letter  of  thanks. 

Kalgan,  a  city  of  about  one  hundred  thousand,  is 
literally  the  gateway  to  Mongolia.  The  outer  Chinese 
wall,  built  more  than  two  thousand  years  ago,  consti- 
tutes the  upper  wall  of  the  town.  Here  a  number  of 
converging  streams,  coming  down  with  rapid  descent 
from  the  lofty  mountain  chain  beyond,  narrow  to  a 
single  channel,  which  is  effectually  guarded  by  the 
city.  All  the  commerce  between  China  and  Central 


226  Story  of  My  Life 

Asia,  and,  until  recently,  with  Siberia  and  Russia, 
passes  through  the  single  gate  at  the  end  of  the  prin- 
cipal street.  Until  two  or  three  years  before  our  visit 
this  gate  was  so  narrow  that  two  loaded  animals  could 
not  pass  in  it;  but  now  it  was  so  enlarged  that  the 
processions  could  be  continuous  both  ways. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  the  completion  of  the  Suez 
Canal  seriously  affected  the  interests  of  Kalgan  and 
of  a  large  surrounding  population.  Immediately  upon 
that  event  a  considerable  portion  of  the  commodities 
which  had  been  shipped  to  Russia  and  western  Siberia 
across  Mongolia  found  an  easier  route  by  way  of  the 
canal,  and  great  temporary  suffering  was  wrought 
upon  the  northern  provinces.  The  cause  of  this  was 
not  evident  to  the  secluded  sufferers  and  it  was  still 
among  the  disturbing  mysteries  of  the  region.  The 
tea  trade,  however,  was  preserved  to  this  route  for  a 
time,  by  maintaining  the  belief  that  the  quality  of  the 
tea  was  injuriously  affected  by  an  ocean  voyage.  But, 
now  that  the  Siberian  railroad  was  approaching  com- 
pletion, there  was  another  struggle  impending  to  re- 
tain the  tea  traffic  of  Russia  in  its  old  channels.  Even 
at  that  time,  the  Russian  merchants  assured  me  that 
the  traffic  was  largely  diverted  by  way  of  Vladivos- 
tok. 

Still,  Kalgan  will  never  cease  to  be  an  important 
center  of  business;  for  there  are  two  million  Mongo- 


Across  Asia  227 

Hans  who  will  find  this  their  natural  commercial  out- 
let to  the  world.  In  addition  to  this,  Chinese  farmers 
are  rapidly  spreading  over  the  eastern  border  of  the 
Mongolian  plateau,  and  are  transforming  the  thinly 
populated  grazing  land  of  the  Mongols  into  more 
thickly  populated  agricultural  colonies.  One  of  the 
great  national  products  of  Mongolia  must  certainly 
find  its  way  out  through  the  present  gateway.  This 
is  the  crude  soda  of  the  desiccated  lakes  of  the  region. 
In  ascending  the  narrow  gorge  leading  from  Kalgan 
to  Hanoor,  on  the  summit  of  the  plateau,  2,500  feet 
above  the  city,  we  met  thousands  of  oxcarts  loaded 
with  this  native  soda,  found  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  farther  inland.  This  is  all  owned  by  the  Chi- 
nese government  and  is  refined  at  Kalgan  and  dis- 
tributed from  that  point.  Another  rather  curious 
sight  that  met  our  eyes  during  this  part  of  our  trip 
was  large  droves  of  black  swine  which  had  been  driven 
long  distances  on  their  way  to  market.  But  it  was  not 
the  swine  themselves  which  attracted  our  curiosity  so 
much  as  their  feet,  which  were  all  shod  with  felt  shoes 
to  protect  them  from  the  stony  paths  over  which  they 
were  compelled  to  travel. 

The  eastern  edge  of  the  Mongolian  plateau  is  5,400 
feet  above  sea  level,  and  what  is  most  surprising  is  that 
the  surface  begins  at  once  to  slope  away  to  the  west. 


228  Story  of  My  Life 

Indeed,  in  less  than  a  mile  from  the  edge  of  the  escarp- 
ment the  streams  are  running  towards  the  great  Gobi 
desert,  which  is  only  2,500  feet  above  sea  level.  The 
view  from  the  towers  of  the  Chinese  outer  wall,  which 
runs  along  the  front  of  the  escarpment,  is  extremely 
impressive  and  suggestive.  To  the  west  and  north 
stretch,  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  the  undulating  plain 
which  occupies  the  interior  of  the  great  continent  and 
which  is  largely  rendered  barren  from  lack  of  rain. 
But  here  in  the  month  of  May  innumerable  camels, 
oxen,  and  mules  are  spread  abroad  to  recuperate  for  a 
short  time  from  the  arduous  tasks  which  have  been 
laid  upon  them  in  their  long  journeys  to  and  from  the 
interior.  To  the  east  and  south  are  endless  stretches 
of  mountain  peaks,  along  the  central  line  of  which  the 
great  wall  is  conspicuous  as  far  as  the  angle  of  vision 
permits  the  eye  to  take  cognizance  of  it.  Later  we 
learned  that  this  is  by  no  means  a  barren  country. 
Between  these  mountain  ranges  there  is  a  succession 
of  fertile  valleys,  where  irrigation  partly  counteracts 
the  prevailing  droughts,  and  the  teeming  population  i? 
able  to  procure  a  comfortable  livelihood. 

After  following  for  two  days  the  great  caravan 
route  from  Kalgan  to  Siberia,  we  left  the  high  plateau 
and  struck  eastward  across  the  upper  portion  of  the 
streams  which  center  at  the  pass  at  Kalgan.  This  took 
us  into  an  unfrequented  country  and  revealed  to  us 


Across  Asia  229 

the  inner  life  of  the  Chinese  people,  for  though  we 
were  still  in  Mongolia,  the  Chinese  were  the  main  oc- 
cupants of  the  soil.  On  reaching  the  little  village  of 
mud  houses  named  San-ha-pa,  on  the  very  edge  of  the 
escarpment,  we  found  it  necessary  to  seek  shelter  for 
the  night.  But  as  there  was  no  inn  this  was  a 
matter  of  no  small  difficulty.  We  were  the  wonder 
of  the  whole  community,  attracting  so  much  atten- 
tion that  we  actually  broke  up  a  funeral  proces- 
sion which  wras  passing  by.  At  length,  however,  an 
elderly  couple  consented  to  vacate  all  their  house  but 
the  kitchen,  and  even  that  was  given  up  to  our  at- 
tendants. The  curiosity  of  the  people  was  insatiable. 
Till  late  in  the  evening  an  unmanageable  throng 
crowded  into  the  vacant  space  of  the  room,  and  pressed 
against  the  paper  windows  until  they  had  broken  them 
through,  to  see  us  eat  and  drink,  and  to  inspect  our 
clothes.  Even  the  women  ventured  into  conspicuous 
places,  and  stood  on  the  housetops  all  around  to  gaze 
at  us  whenever  we  ventured  out.  But  it  was  a  harm- 
.less,.  good-natured  crowd.  It  is  true  that  they  called 
us  "  devils," — the  mothers,  as  usual,  holding  up  their 
children  to  the  windows  of  our  inn  and  rebuking 
them  for  being  afraid  of  the  ".devils."  This,  how- 
ever, meant  nothing  more  than  "  foreigners."  So,  as 
far  as  we  could  learn,  they  did  not  in  that  village,  as 
they  did  near  Tientsin,  call  us  "  long-haired  devils." 


230  Story  of  My  Life 

Going  on  farther  east  from  this  point,  we  descended 
1,500  feet  into  a  broad  longitudinal  valley,  lined  on 
all  the  southeastern  slopes  with  hills  of  loess,  on  which 
the  villages  were  built,  many  of  the  houses  being  mere 
excavations  in  this  remarkable  formation.  Passing 
again  over  another  north  and  south  ridge  which  car- 
ried us  up  to  the  level  of  the  plateau,  we  sought 
shelter  the  third  night  in  an  inn  which  had  no  private 
room.  The  "  kang "  adjoined  the  kitchen  rrnge, 
which  was  heated  by  dry  manure  of  the  various  ani- 
mals cared  for  in  the  inclosure  or  passing  by  on  the 
road.  As  most  of  the  smoke  was  left  to  find  its  way 
without  proper  guidance  to  a  solitary  hole  in  the  roof, 
the  scene  must  be  left  to  the  reader's  imagination. 
Without  any  partition  walls  we  shared  the  sleeping 
place  with  an  unknown  number  of  Chinese.  No 
harm,  however,  ensued,  and  we  had  excellent  oppor- 
tunities to  observe  the  conditions  under  which  this 
industrious  and  patient  people  spend  their  lives. 

The  poverty  of  the  great  mass  of  the  people  had 
been  forced  upon  our  attention  in  many  ways,  byt  in 
none  more  than  in  the  matter  of  dress.  Peking  is  in 
the  latitude  of  Philadelphia,  yet  in  the  ride  from  that 
city  to  Tung-chau  on  the  first  of  May,  when  snow  had 
fallen  to  a  depth  of  several  inches,  we  saw  many  chil- 
dren from  six  to  ten  years  of  age  who  had  already 
donned  their  summer  apparel,  consisting  simply  of  a 


Across  Asia  231 

little  colored  cord  braided  into  their  long  hair.  On 
the  way  to  Kalgan  naked  children  became  too  fre- 
quent to  attract  attention.  In  the  inn  at  one  of  the 
villages  a  little  boy  about  five  or  six  years  old,  without 
even  a  cord  in  his  hair,  walked  in  with  great  dignity 
carrying  carefully  in  his  hand  a  single  egg  which  he 
wished  to  barter  for  thread.  The  innkeeper,  who  was 
as  well  a  storekeeper,  attended  to  the  wants  of  the 
child  with  as  much  obsequiousness  as  he  would  have 
shown  to  a  grown-up  patron,  and  the  boy  departed 
with  perfect  satisfaction.  On  asking  Mr.  Williams 
if  there  was  not  danger  that  the  boy  would  be  im- 
posed upon,  he  answered,  "No:  for  his  mother  has  a 
tongue."  Thus  the  Chinese  women  secure  their  rights 
without  the  ballot,  about  as  they  do  in  other  countries. 
On  inquiry  we  ascertained  that  in  this  section  of 
China,  carpenters  get  what  in  America  would  amount 
to  eight  cents  a  day.  A  boss  mason  receives  eight  and 
a  half  cents,  and  his  attendant  six  and  a  half.  Ordi- 
nary workmen  and  sewing  women  get  five  cents.  But 
this  low  scale  of  wages  is  offset  by  the  low  cost  of 
living.  Oatmeal,  which  is  the  staple  here  as  rice  is  in 
the  south,  ordinarily  sells  for  less  than  a  cent  a  pound. 
When  it  rises  to  a  cent  and  a  half,  a  famine  is  pro- 
duced and  multitudes  die  from  lack  of  nutriment. 
The  food  for  an  ordinary  workman  costs  a  cent  and  a 
half  per  day.  A  large  part  of  the  unrest  culminating 


232  Story  of  My  Life 

in  the  Boxer  revolution,  which  was  beginning  to  con- 
vulse China  at  that  time,  was  occasioned  by  the  wide- 
spread pressure  for  food,  caused  by  the  partial  failure 
of  crops  in  the  northeastern  provinces.  A  hungry  peo- 
ple are  not  amenable  to  reason. 

The  fourth  day  carried  us  over  another  mountain 
ridge  level  with  the  plateau,  and  brought  us  at  night 
to  the  noted  Catholic  mission  of  Shiwantse,  maintained 
by  a  society  in  Belgium.  It  was  surprising  to  find  in 
this  remote  locality  so  many  indications  of  Christian 
civilization.  Here  was  a  boarding  school  for  Chinese 
girls  with  an  attendance  of  four  hundred,  and  another 
for  boys  with  two  hundred.  In  the  village  eighteen 
hundred  Christian  Chinese  are  living  with  every  sign 
of  contentment,  in  houses  excavated  in  the  extensive 
loess  deposit  which  has  collected  at  the  southern  base 
of  the  encircling  mountains.  The  bishop  and  a  half 
dozen  associates  hospitably  welcomed  us,  and  showed 
us  with  just  pride  through  their  new  building,  more 
than  three  hundred  feet  long  and  two  stories  high, 
which  they  were  constructing  for  the  enlargement  of 
their  work.  Altogether  they  reported  30,000  converts 
in  Mongolia,  and  780,000  in  China.  All  the  fifth 
day  we  slowly  worked  our  way  down  the  ever-deepen- 
ing valley  towards  Kalgan,  only  reaching  there  on  the 
sixth  day  from  starting. 

The  objects  of  our  trip  were  accomplished.    As  Kal- 


Across  Asia  233 

gan  is  in  the  latitude  of  New  York  City,  where  the 
marks  of  the  Glacial  epoch  are  abundant,  and  as  the 
general  conditions  of  eastern  Asia  are  so  like  those  of 
eastern  North  America,  it  was  necessary,  in  fixing  the 
limits  to  glacial  action  in  Asia,  to  explore  thoroughly 
this  region.  Our  trip  demonstrated  that  glaciers 
never  have  extended  as  far  south  as  that,  on  the  Mon- 
golian plateau.  To  find  glacial  phenomena  we  must 
now  go  to  Mukden  (north  of  Korea)  and  make  a  sec- 
tion of  the  country  thence  to  the  Sungari  River. 

We  left  Kalgan  for  Peking  on  the  2 1st  of  May, 
and  arrived  on  the  26th,  having  been  absent,  without 
news  from  the  outside  world,  for  three  weeks.  We 
found  the  city  in  a  state  of  great  excitement  on  ac- 
count of  the  menacing  attitude  of  the  "  Boxers."  On 
two  or  three  occasions  we  had  come  in  contact,  more  or 
less  directly,  with  these  malcontents.  At  one  time 
we  encountered  a  large  crowd  that  was  gathered 
around  a  company  of  them  as  they  were  going  through 
their  contortions.  They  seemed  to  embody  in  one  the 
fury  of  religious  bigotry  and  that  of  political  enthu- 
siasm, fanned  into  flame  by  the  manifest  rapid  progress 
of  foreign  enterprises  and  the  wide-spread  failure  of 
crops  already  referred  to.  For  many  months  com- 
panies of  them  had  been  gathering  in  increasing  num- 
bers, and  by  practices  familiar  to  religious  enthusiasts 


234  Story  of  My  Life 

had  worked  themselves  up  into  an  hypnotic  state,  in 
which  they  made  themselves  believe  that  they  were  in- 
vulnerable to  bullets.  Two  Chinese  army  officers 
were  overheard  one  day  in  a  railroad  train  discussing 
this  claim  of  the  Boxers.  One  of  them  thought  there 
was  really  something  in  it,  and  that  they  were  invul- 
nerable. The  other  called  attention  to  the  fact  that 
in  a  recent  engagement  some  of  them  had  been  killed 
by  bullets,  to  which  the  other  replied,  that  probably 
they  had  not  passed  through  all  the  degrees. 

We  left  Peking  for  Tientsin  on  the  26th  of  May. 
We  were  none  too  soon ;  for,  on  the  following  day,  the 
Boxers,  with  arms  and  munitions  of  war  obtained  from 
the  sympathetic  soldiery,  attacked  the  railroad  south  of 
Peking,  burnt  the  stations,  and  advanced  to  within  a 
few  miles  of  the  city,  where  they  destroyed  the  main 
railroad  and  cut  Peking  off  from  connection  with  the 
outside  world.  The  foreign  powers  were  taken  com- 
pletely by  surprise.  On  the  29th,  about  midnight,  a 
company  of  marines  from  the  United  States  gunboat 
Newark  reached  Tientsin  and  were  welcomed  with 
noisy  demonstrations.  But  they  could  get  no  farther. 
On  the  3Oth  we  were  glad  to  escape  from  the  confu- 
sion, and  take  a  train  for  the  harbor,  where  we  could 
get  a  boat  for  Chefoo.  Already  there  were  fourteen 
men-of-war  of  all  nationalities  hovering  about  Taku, 
eight  of  them  being  Russian.  Five  hundred  Russian 


Across  Asia  235 

soldiers,  who  had  attempted  to  follow  the  United 
States  marines  up  to  Tientsin,  had  been  turned  back. 
No  one  knew  what  to  expect. 

On  reaching  Chefoo  we  soon  found  a  small  Rus- 
sian steamer  bound  for  Port  Arthur,  which  at  this 
time  was  little  else  than  a  military  post,  where  active 
operations  were  going  on  to  complete  the  fortifications. 
We  found  shelter  in  a  miserable  inn,  partly  dug  out 
from  the  side  of  the  hill  on  the  west  side  of  the  town, 
and  set  ourselves  at  work  to  procure  an  interview  with 
Admiral  Alexieff,  who  was  still  there,  though  the 
ranking  admiral  smong  the  fleets  assembled  to  protect 
foreign  interests  in  China.  That  afternoon  there  was 
to  be  a  reception  given  by  the  Admiral,  so  we  attended, 
expecting  to  hand  him  there  our  letter  of  introduction 
from  Baron  Rosen.  But  the  extra  duties  thrust  upon 
him  by  the  Boxer  revolution  kept  him  from  being 
present,  and  so  we  failed  to  secure  an  interview.  And 
here  comes  in  an  incident  in  my  experience,  such  as 
has  often  occurred,  when  ignorance  was  bliss. 

The  next  morning  we  went  over  to  the  Admiral's 
office  and  presented  to  the  guards  both  the  letter  to 
the  Admiral,  and  the  one  to  Colonel  Samoieoff.  But, 
if  we  could  at  that  time  have  read  the  address  on  the 
letter  to  Samoieoff,  we  would  have  learned  that  his  sta- 
tion was  not  at  Port  Arthur,  but  at  Khabarovsk,  sev- 
eral hundred  miles  away.  In  our  ignorance,  however, 


236  Story  of  My  Life 

we  handed  both  letters  to  the  guards.  After  waiting 
an  hour  or  more,  we  were  put  in  charge  of  a  Cossack 
and  marched  off  through  the  streets,  we  knew  not 
where,  or  what  for.  We  were  taken  to  military  head- 
quarters, and,  to  our  great  joy,  ushered  into  the  pres: 
ence  of  Colonel  Samoieoff,  who  the  day  before  had 
reached  Port  Arthur,  having  been  transferred  there 
on  the  breaking  out  of  the  Boxer  difficulties.  Good 
fortune  had  again  attended  us.  Colonel  Samoieoff 
spoke  English  fluently,  and  was  greatly  interested  in 
our  plans,  and  said  he  would  secure  an  interview  with 
the  Admiral  in  a  short  time.  He  took  our  letter  and 
sent  it  to  the  Admiral's  residence  and  told  us  to  return 
to  our  inn,  where  we  would  be  called  for  soon.  In  due 
time  an  orderly  came  to  us  with  an  invitation  for  a 
private  interview  the  next  morning.  Meanwhile  the 
Colonel  took  us  in  charge  and  showed  us  everything 
about  the  place  which  it  was  lawful  for  us  to  see,  and 
aided  us  in  selecting  and  purchasing  photographs. 

Our  interview  with  the  Admiral  was  very  satisfac- 
tory. We  found  that  he,  too,  had  been  in  America, 
and  was  interested  in  the  objects  of  our  investigations. 
Next  morning  he  put  us  on  a  construction  train,  which 
was  to  go  leisurely  up  as  far  as  the  rails  were  laid  on 
this  end  of  the  Chinese  Eastern  railroad,  to  Teling, 
thirty  miles  beyond  Mukden.  It  was  interesting  to 
notice  that  we  were  drawn  by  a  Baldwin  locomotive, 


Across  Asia  237 

built  in  Philadelphia,  over  rails  made  in  Baltimore  and 
laid  on  ties  from  Oregon.  We  were  crowded  into  the 
caboose  with  officers,  and  engineers  of  the  road,  to- 
gether with  a  number  of  the  higher  class  of  the  work- 
men. The  train  stopped  everywhere  to  put  off  sup- 
plies, or  to  transport  timbers  which  had  served  their 
purpose  in  one  place  and  were  needed  farther  along, 
so  that,  so  far  as  observation  was  concerned,  it  was 
next  thing  to  making  the  distance  in  a  Chinese  cart. 
The  superintendent  of  the  stations  to  be  erected  along 
the  road  was  going  the  whole  distance  to  Teling,  and 
had  with  him  a  tow-headed  Scandinavian  servant,  who 
had  been  in  New  York  and  could  speak  English  in- 
differently. The  superintendent  was  very  helpful  to  us 
in  every  way.  So  the  journey  passed  off  as  pleasantly 
and  profitably  as  could  have  been  wished  if  we  had 
planned  everything  ourselves. 

Port  Arthur  is  the  "  nose  "  of  the  Liao-tung  pen- 
insula, which  is  essentially  a  mountainous  range,  bor- 
dered by  fertile  lands  on  either  side.  For  the  most  part 
the  road  runs  so  near  the  south  side  of  the  peninsula 
that  the  ocean  is  in  view.  Near  Te-lien-wan,  how- 
ever, the  water  is  for  some  distance  visible  on  both 
sides.  Altogether  the  ride  much  resembles  that  from 
Florence  to  Genoa  in  Italy.  From  Niu-chuang  to 
Mukden  the  road  follows  up  the  middle  of  the  rich 
Liao-tung  Valley,  which  is  fifty  miles  or  more  wide, 


238  Story  of  My  Life 

with  every  acre  under  cultivation.  At  the  time  we 
passed  through  it,  squads  of  Chinese  were  cultivating 
the  vast  fields  of  sorghum,  millet,  and  beans,  which 
form  the  staple  crops.  Not  a  weed  was  to  be  seen.  We 
could  easily  understand  how  the  Russians,  a  few  years 
later,  in  the  Japanese  war,  made  a  fatal  mistake  in  fail- 
ing to  reckon  on  the  growth  of  these  crops,  when  mak- 
ing their  military  assignments  for  the  artillery  posts, 
these  being  made  when  the  ground  was  bare.  But,  by 
the  time  of  actual  military  occupations,  the  millet  and 
sorghum  had  grown  so  high  that  the  Japanese  could 
approach  the  Russian  lines  without  being  observed  as 
they  crawled  through  the  rank  vegetation.  The  pro- 
ductiveness of  the  country  may  be  judged  by  the  fact 
that  five  hundred  thousand  tons  of  beans  were  annually 
sent  out  of  the  port  of  Niu-chuang. 

Before  the  building  of  the  Chinese  Eastern  railroad 
by  the  Russians,  all  this  inland  traffic  was  by  means 
of  primitive  carts.  The  organization  and  protection 
of  these  immense  caravans  as  they  went  back  and  forth 
reveal  a  condition  of  things  in  the  Chinese  Empire 
that  is  little  understood  by  foreigners.  The  central 
government  in  China  is  so  weak  that  almost  everything 
is  left  to  the  local  authorities,  and  they  are  but  the 
agents  of  local  public  sentiment.  "  Local  option  "  in 
China  has  been  carried  to  a  ridiculous  extreme.  For 


Across  Asia  239 

instance,  as  we  were  coming  down  from  Shiwantse  to 
Kalgan,  we  passed  through  a  village  which  had  been 
visited  a  few  days  before  by  a  band  of  robbers,  who  had 
pillaged  the  public  pawnshop,  which  served  as  the 
bank,  and  carried  away  a  large  portion  of  the  goods 
which  were  stored  there.  But  they  did  not  take  every- 
thing, and  did  not  disturb  the  private  dwellings. 
With  this  the  authorities  were  well  satisfied,  and  made 
no  effort  to  capture  and  punish  the  marauders.  Evi- 
dently they  regarded  the  loot  as  a  sort  of  a  tax  for 
their  protection.  For  if  they  had  pursued  the  robbers 
they  would  have  returned  and  wiped  out  the  whole 
settlement. 

In  Manchuria  the  whole  government  of  the  province 
was  practically  turned  over  to  a  "  robber  trust,"  which 
had  been  formed  by  the  larger  bands.  So  many  small 
bands  had  been  formed  that  there  was  danger  that  all 
traffic  would  be  driven  off  from  the  road;  hence  the 
larger  bands  formed  a  trust  to  put  down  the  smaller 
bands,  and  then  went  to  the  merchants  and  offered  for 
a  given  sum  to  insure  safe  conduct  for  the  caravans 
and  their  treasures.  This  was  practically  all  the  gov- 
ernment that  existed  in  Manchuria  when  we  were 
there,  outside  of  the  strip,  ten  miles  wide,  bordering 
the  railroad,  which  was  under  Russian  protection. 
Similarly,  in  Kalgan  at  that  time,  there  was  a  "  beggar 
trust."  The  beggars  were  organized,  and  had  a 


240  Story  of  My  Life 

"  king,"  who  would  go  to  the  merchants  and  arrange 
with  them,  for  a  specific  sum,  to  keep  all  beggars  from 
infesting  the  entrance  to  their  stores.  The  service 
thus  rendered  was  really  a  full  equivalent  for  the  sum 
paid.  But,  after  all,  this  is  not  much  different  from 
the  protection  which  is  often  secured  in  our  countiy 
by  the  employment  of  Pinkerton  detectives  to  supple- 
ment government  agencies. 

The  railroad  through  Manchuria  seemed  to  make 
many  curves  which  were  unnecessary  in  going  through 
a  level  country.  But  soon  there  appeared  a  reason  for 
this.  It  was  to  avoid  the  desecration  of  graves,  which 
the  Chinese  consider  most  sacred.  Much  unnecessary 
ill-will  was  incurred  by  the  English  and  Germans 
through  their  disregard  of  this  feeling  among  the 
Chinese.  In  this  respect  the  Russians  were  more  con- 
siderate than  other  nations  had  been.  The  absence  of 
labor-saving  machinery  was  also  noted  all  along  the 
line  of  the  railroad  which  was  under  construction. 
We  did  not  see  a  wheelbarrow  during  the  whole  jour- 
ney. The  dirt  that  was  removed  from  the  various 
cuts,  and  was  used  to  make  the  equally  numerous  fills, 
was  all  dug  up  by  hoes,  placed  in  baskets  hung  on  the 
opposite  ends  of  a  pole  and  carried  on  the  shoulders  of 
naked  men,  who  cheerfully  trotted  back  and  forth 
with  their  burdens,  and  deposited  them  where  needed. 
But  throughout  China  human  labor  is  cheap.  Ten 


Across  Asia  241 

cents  a  day -in  silver  was.  all  that  was  paid,  and  there 
were  literally,  when  we  were  there,  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands of  men  employed  in  pushing  on  the  work  to  com- 
pletion. It  was  no  unusual  thing  to  see  a  hundred 
men  at  work  without  a  stitch  of  clothes  on  them.  And 
when  off  from  work,  they  were  often  seen  wrestling 
and  engaging  in  other  sports.  Nakedness  was  their 
normal  condition  in  the  summer  time. 

Teling  is  about  thirty  miles  beyond  Mukden  and 
four  hundred  and  thirty  miles  from  Port  Arthur. 
From  here  to  the  end  of  the  section  which  was  being 
built  southward  from  Harbin,  there  intervened  about 
two  hundred  miles  that  must  be  traversed  by  private 
conveyance.  Here  we  were  very  cordially  received  by 
Mr.  Cassigeri,  the  chief  engineer,  who  was  construct- 
ing the  section  of  seventy-five  miles  extending  north- 
ward. His  family  was  with  him,  occupying  a  native 
house,  which  was  comfortably  fitted  up  for  the  two 
years'  stay  during  which  the  work  was  expected  to  con- 
tinue. We  'were  hospitably  shown  another  house, 
which,  with  the  adjoining  garden,  we  were  told  was 
all  ours  as  long  as  we  cared  to  stay ;  and  a  servant  was 
placed  at  our  disposal.  Mr.  Cassigeri  did  not  speak 
English.  But  Colonel  Ghenche,  the  superintendent 
of  telegraphic  construction  along  the  whole  line,  spoke 
it  fluently,  and  was  well  versed  in  every  department 


242  Story  of  My  Life 

of  learning.  Indeed,  he  was  one  of  the  best  informed 
and  interesting  men  I  ever  met.  His  knowledge  of 
the  conditions  of  all  the  countries  bordering  the  Rus- 
sian Empire  on  the  south  was  encyclopedic.  He  was 
boarding  with  the  Cossack  colonel,  whose  wife  was 
with  him  and  was  as  cordial  in  welcoming  us  as  was 
her  husband.  She  felt  quite  hurt  that  we  did  not  make 
our  home  with  them  instead  of  the  chief  engineer.  We 
could  pacify  them  only  by  taking  one  or  two  meals 
with  them.  Here,  as  everywhere  else  where  we  saw 
them,  the  Cossacks  made  a  very  pleasant  impression  on 
us.  They  are  to  Russia  what  the  standing  army  is  to 
the  United  States,  and  are  animated  by  about  the  same 
patriotic  and  disinterested  sentiments  of  loyalty  and 
hospitality. 

At  the  dinners  in  the  house  of  the  chief  engineer  we 
were  introduced  to  a  Russian  custom  which  we  had 
much  opportunity  to  observe  later.  Before  sitting 
down  to  the  heavily  laden  table  we  were  expected  in- 
dividually to  go  to  a  side  table  and  help  ourselves  to 
various  appetizing  morsels,  consisting  of  such  things 
as  sardines,  sweet  cucumber  pickles,  crackers,  and,  if 
you  were  so  inclined,  a  mouthful  of  "  vodka."  Colonel 
Ghenche  usually  dined  with  us,  so  that  there  was  no 
difficulty  in  carrying  on  conversation  during  the  meal. 
Mr.  Cassigeri  was  a  Circassian.  I  was  much  touched 
when,  just  before  leaving,  he  asked  me  into  his  private 


Across  Asia  243 

office,  and  after  we  were  seated  took  out  from  his  desk 
a  photograph  of  a  beautiful  girl,  who,  he  told  me  with 
the  aid  of  a  Latin  dictionary,  was  his  daughter,  buried 
in  Petrograd.  Sorrow  brings  all  hearts  together.  The 
tears  filled  his  eyes  as  he  shared  his  feelings  with  me 
for  a  few  moments  before  we  separated. 

On  Monday,  June  n,  1900,  we  regretfully  parted 
from  our  friends  at  Teling,  and  set  out  on  our  jour- 
ney of  two  hundred  miles  in  two  carts,  each  drawn  by 
three  mules,  and  accompanied  by  a  Chinese  driver, 
with  whom  we  had  arranged  to  transport  us  the  whole 
distance.  The  journey  was  to  occupy  about  ten  days. 
The  charge  was  eighty  silver  dollars.  We  still  had 
with  us  our  Chinese  interpreter  whom  we  had  engaged 
in  Peking,  and  carried  our  own  bedding  and  a  supply 
of  provisions.  None  of  these,  however,  were  needed 
for  the  first  week;  since  Cossacks  conducted  us  from 
station  to  station  of  the  engineering  corps  engaged  in 
constructing  the  road,  and  we  were  everywhere  royally 
entertained  by  men  of  wide  information,  who  fully  ap- 
preciated the  objects  of  our  expedition,  and  were  de- 
lighted to  see  some  one  from  the  outside  world.  An 
important  sidelight  is  shed  on  Russia's  power  and  civi- 
lization in  that,  when  a  railway  eighteen  hundred  miles 
in  length  was  to  be  constructed  in  an  unknown  region, 
in  the  shortest  possible  time,  the  large  body  of  trained 
men  capable  of  doing  the  work  could  be  found  at  once. 


244  Story  of  My  Life 

Those  whom  we  met  were  uniformly  men  of  wide 
general  as  well  as  special  training ;  and  they  were  from 
all  parts  of  the  Empire ;  from  Poland,  Moscow,  Odessa, 
Circassia,  and  Armenia.  One,  Mr.  TerovakimofT,  an 
Armenian,  who  had  constructed  the  section  of  the 
Siberian  railway  from  Krasnoyarsk,  on  the  Yenisei 
River,  to  Irkutsk,  on  the  Angara,  was  an  accomplished 
classical  scholar,  and  could  repeat  with  ease  large  por- 
tions of  Horace  in  Latin  and  of  Sophocles  in  Greek. 
Nearly  all  these  men  were  looking  forward  to  a  jour- 
ney home  through  America  on  the  completion  of  their 
work  in  about  a  year. 

From  Tel  ing  the  valley  broadens  out  till  it  becomes 
in  the  northwest  unlimited,  and  is  everywhere,  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  railroad,  under  high  cultivation.  No 
part  of  the  prairie  region  of  the  United  States  exceeds 
it  in  fertility.  Moreover,  the  distant  mountains  are 
covered  with  timber,  in  pleasing  contrast  to  those  in 
China.  As  we  proceeded  northward  I  was  constantly 
looking  with  expectation  of  finding  some  indication  oi 
glacial  deposits,  for  we  were  now  in  the  latitude  of 
New  England  and  on  the  same  side  of  a  continent. 
But  the  prophecies  of  finding  glacial  deposits  with 
which  I  encouraged  my  son  from  day  to  day  proved 
delusive,  and  I  barely  escaped  the  reputation  of  being 
a  false  prophet.  Indeed,  no  signs  of  glaciation  ap^ 
peared  even  when  we  had  reached  the  Amur  River  at 


Across  Asia  245 

Khabarovsk  in  latitude  48°,  nor,  later,  at  Elbazin,  in 
latitude  53°,  which  is  on  the  same  parallel  with  Ham- 
ilton Inlet  in  Labrador. 

At  Kwan-Chen-tse  we  spent  the  Sabbath  with  some 
missionaries  from  the  north  of  Ireland,  who,  with 
others  supported  by  a  Scotch  society,  have  had  remark- 
able success  in  the  leading  centers  of  Manchuria.  Dr. 
Gordon,  the  medical  missionary  at  this  place,  and  his 
family,  entertained  us  most  hospitably,  so  that  it 
seemed  like  being  at  home  again.  He  was  both  phy- 
sician and  preacher,  but  unfortunately  for  us  lie 
preached  in  the  language  of  the  people  and  not  in  Eng- 
lish. His  hospital  was  widely  patronized,  and  evi- 
dently was  very  productive  both  in  the  direct  good  it 
did  and  in  the  indirect  influence  which  it  exerted  in 
commending  Christianity  to  the  people. 

Kwan-Chen-tse  is  a  lively  center  of  trade  with  Mon- 
golia. Especially  is  it  a  great  market  for  horses,  which 
are  collected  in  great  numbers.  It  lies  just  north  of 
the  watershed  separating  the  basin  of  the  Yellow  Sea 
from  that  of  the  Sea  of  Okhotsk.  But  the  grades  in 
both  directions  are  so  gradual  as  to  be  almost  imper- 
ceptible. North  of  the  summit  the  alluvium  becomes 
deeper,  the  roads  worse,  if  possible,  and  the  so.il  even 
more  fertile.  Across  the  seventy  miles  leading  from 
there  to  the  Sungari  River,  where  we  met  the  railroad 
which  was  in  process  of  construction  south  from  Har- 


246  Story  of  My  Life 

bin,  we  followed  the  Chinese  roads,  and  stayed  in 
Chinese  inns.  The  sleeping  places  in  these  were  com- 
mon to  us  with  thirty  or  forty  Chinamen,  several  black 
pigs,  and  two  or  three  mangy  dogs.  But  after  we  had 
been  jolted  for  twelve  hours  in  a  two-wheeled  cart 
without  springs,  any  resting  place  was  acceptable.  We 
reached  the  Sungari  River  at  two  p.  m.  on  Wednesday, 
June  20,  and  found  it  to  compare  favorably  with  the 
Allegheny  above  Pittsburgh,  but  more  navigable.  The 
river  is  running  here  to  the  northwest,  in  which  direc- 
tion it  continues  for  more  than  a  hundred  miles,  where 
it  is  joined  by  the  Nonni  and  turns  to  the  east.  The 
railway  crosses  in  a  straight  line  and  meets  the  river 
again  at  Harbin,  about  a  hundred  miles  by  the  road, 
but  fully  two  hundred  and  fifty  as  the  river  runs.  The 
same  level  fertile  plains  which  we  had  been  traversing 
by  cart  for  the  last  two  hundred  miles  continued  to 
Harbin,  which  we  reached  safely  on  Friday,  having 
been  thrown  off  the  track  once.  Harbin  was  un- 
known, even  by  name,  two  and  a  half  years  before  we 
visited  it.  Then  it  was  a  city  of  ten  thousand  inhabi- 
tants, all  engaged  in  rushing  the  construction  of  the 
railway  in  three  directions,  towards  Port  Arthur, 
Vladivostok,  and  towards  Siberia.  It  was  located  here 
because  it  is  the  practical  head  of  good  navigation  on 
the  Sungari  River,  so  that  material  could  be  transported 
thither  by  steamers.  An  immense  amount  of  material 


Across  Asia  247 

had  already  been  distributed  from  there, — enough  to 
equip  three  hundred  miles  of  road,  and  more  was  con- 
stantly arriving.  The  most  of  this  was  from  America. 
Geologists  will  be  interested  to  know  that  at  Harbin 
wells  are  eighty  feet  deep  in  alluvial  soil,  and  that  the 
abutments  of  the  railway  bridge  go  down  for  founda- 
tions through  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet  of  clay. 

Mr.  Yugovitch,  the  chief  engineer  of  the  road,  made 
his  headquarters  at  Harbin.  He  had  heard  of  our 
coming  and  gave  us  a  hearty  welcome.  On  learning 
that  I  wished  to  have  the  elevations  along  the  road, 
he  at  once  produced  his  papers,  and  read  them  off  to 
me  while  I  copied  them  with  a  pencil.  When  I  asked 
him  questions  about  the  watershed  at  Kwan-Chen-tse, 
he  saw  at  once  the  scientific  importance  of  them  and 
had  me  write  out  what  I  wished  done,  and  telegraphed 
his  engineers  to  survey  and  make  a  profile  section  along 
the  watershed  westward  from  there  to  determine  what 
the  lowest  point  actually  was.  Thus  I  soon  had  at 
command  a  most  important  series  of  facts,  which 
would  have  been  beyond  my  reach  but  for  Mr.  Yugo- 
vitch's  intelligent  interest.  I  could  easily  understand 
why  he  was  chosen  to  be  chief  engineer  of  so  vast  a 
work  of  construction. 

DOWN   THE   SUNGARI   RIVER   AND   UP   THE    USURI 

The  importance  of  the  Sungari  River  will  best  be 


248  Story  of  My  Life 

appreciated  by  Americans  when  they  are  told  that  it 
drains  an  area  considerably  larger  than  the  basin  of 
the  Ohio,  and  one  that  is  equally  rich  in  agricultural 
resources,  and  possibly  also  in  mineral  wealth  and  for-, 
ests.  The  river  is  navigable  for  steamers  up  to  Har- 
bin, a  distance  of  six  hundred  miles  from  its  mouth, 
where  it  joins  the  Amur,  a  hundred  miles  above 
Khabarovsk.  In  its  upper  waters  an  immense  amount 
of  commerce  is  carried  on  in  Chinese  junks.  We 
were  sent  down  from  Harbin  on  one  of  the  twenty 
steamers  which  had  been  constructed  by  the  Russians 
to  bring  supplies  for  the  construction  of  the  railroad  in 
three  directions  from  Harbin.  In  going  through  the 
yards  we  were  flattered  by  finding  the  names  of  fif- 
teen Ohio  firms  on  the  boxes  of  material  required  for 
their  work.  Among  our  companions  on  the  steamer 
was  Colonel  Dessino,  the  Russian  military  agent  in 
northern  China.  He  spoke  English  readily,  and  was 
able  to  give  us  all  the  information  we  desired  concern- 
ing the  country. 

The  scenery  along  the  Sungari  is  almost  unrivalled 
in  interest.  The  valley  is  from  twenty-five  to  fifty 
miles  broad,  with  picturesque  mountains  forming  the 
sky  line  on  either  side.  Occasionally  these  approach 
near  to  one  or  the  other  side  of  the  river,  but  ordi- 
narily they  are  at  the  respectful  distance  which  lends 
enchantment  to  the  view.  The  river  is  everywhere 


Across  Asia  249 

majestic  in  its  volume,  as  it  rolls  .  along  between  its 
green  banks  and  cultivated  fields.  The  scene  was  also 
still  enlivened  by  the  presence  of  many  native  junks, 
which  are  slowly  propelled  by  sails,  by  men  pushing 
with  poles  against  the  bottom  of  the  stream,  or  by 
others  painfully  towing  them  with  long  ropes  from  the 
banks.  The  natives  could  yet  hardly  realize  what  a 
transformation  steam  was  to  make  for  them.  The 
junks  will,  however,  always  be  necessary  in  the  sev- 
eral hundred  miles  of  more  difficult  navigation  above 
Harbin,  and  in  the  various  tributaries  of  the  main 
stream. 

We  were  four  days  making  the  trip  from  Harbin 
to  Khabarovsk;  but  we  were  anchored  during  the 
darker  portions  of  two  of  the  nights.  The  hundred 
miles  of  the  Amur  traversed  was  a  repetition  of  the 
Sungari,  only  on  a  larger  scale.  From  the  junction 
to  the  sea,  the  Amur  is  really  one  of  the  grandest 
rivers  in  the  world.  So  vast  is  its  basin,  and  so  slightly 
elevated  is  the  lower  part  of  it,  that  the  gradient  is 
slight.  From  Harbin  to  the  sea  the  fall  is  only  about 
five  inches  to  the  mile,  while  from  Blagovestchensk  the 
gradient  is  still  less. 

The  view  from  Khabarovsk  in  early  summer  is  one 
of  the  grandest  imaginable.  East  and  west  the  broad 
current  of  the  Amur,  winding  through  a  valley  of 
luxuriant  vegetation,  which  has  no  visible  northern 


250  Story  of  My  Life  • 

border,  can  be  traced  to  the  limit  of  vision,  while  the 
broad  Usuri  comes  in  from  the  south  through  the  de- 
files of  the  mountain  chain  which  rises  in  solemn 
grandeur  to  limit  the  vision  in  that  direction.  The  city 
itself  is  also  interesting.  In  1900  it  had  fifteen  hun- 
dred inhabitants.  Its  museum  and  geographical  so- 
ciety are  famous  the  world  over.  It  is  the  center  of 
administration  for  all  the  maritime  provinces  of  Si- 
beria, and  so  has  a  large  proportion  of  intelligent  and 
highly  cultivated  residents.  The  completion  of  the 
main  line  of  the  railroad,  through  Harbin  to  Vladi- 
vostok, will  somewhat  limit  its  future  growth;  but 
the  prospect  of  rapid  development  of  the  vast  tribu- 
tary region  to  the  west  and  southwest  has  already 
given  it  a  new  impulse,  which,  in  a  few  years,  will 
make  it,  even  more  than  now,  a  most  attractive  place 
of  residence,  especially  in  summer.  Yet,  strange  to 
say,  those  who  live  there  go  in  considerable  numbers, 
every  summer,  to  Kamchatka  for  variety.  Such  is  the 
universal  anxiety  of  the  modern  man  to  enjoy  some 
change  of  scene. 

Because  we  had  sent  our  baggage  around  from  Port 
Arthur  to  Vladivostok  we  thought  it  best  to  run  down 
there,  especially  as  it  would  give  us  a  chance  to  see  so 
much  more  of  the  country.  But  we  now  began  to 
learn  something  of  the  tragedies  which  were  taking 
place  in  China,  though  our  inability  at  that  time  to 


Across  4sia  251 

read  the  Russian  papers  limited  our  knowledge  to  the 
barest  outline  of  facts.  In  our  desperation,  however, 
we  had  purchased  a  paper  just  before  boarding  the 
train.  Our  comrades  perceived  our  difficulty  in  get- 
ting anything  out  of  the  paper,  but  were  unable  to 
assist  us.  Soon,  however,  a  Russian  lady  on  board 
learned  of  our  embarrassment  and  relieved  it.  She 
was  a  woman  of  about  fifty  years,  and,  as  we  learned 
afterwards,  was  the  wife  of  the  Military  Governor  at 
Vladivostok,  and  was  returning  from  a  visit  to  Russia. 
Coming  to  the  door  opening  into  our  compartment, 
she  graciously  asked  us  in  good  English  if  she  should 
not  translate  the  news  to  us.  Of  course  we  accepted 
the  favor  with  great  pleasure,  and  learned  for  the  first 
time  of  the  siege  of  Peking,  and  the  many  other  hor- 
rors from  which  we  had  barely  escaped.  It  is  need- 
less to  say  that  this,  with  several  other  similar  experi- 
ences, has  given  us  an  exalted  opinion  of  the  educated 
Russian  women.  The  graciousness  with  which  this 
highborn  Russian  dame  ministered  to  the  wants  of  two 
seedy  travelers  made  an  impression  that  can  never  be 
obliterated  from  memory,  and  led  us  to  wonder  if 
many  American  women  would,  or  could,  give  such 
assistance  to  Russian  travelers  in  a  plight  similar  to 
ours. 

On  arriving  at  Vladivostok,  our  first  concern  was 
to  communicate  with  those  at  home  to  let  them  know 


252  Story  . of  My  Life 

of  our  safety;  for  we  perceived  that,  as  the  last  letters 
they  could  have  received  from  us  were  mailed  a  month 
before  the  Boxer  outbreak,  just  as  we  were  starting 
for  Kalgan,  there  must  be  great  anxiety  about  us. 
And  so  there  had  been.  Telegrams  had  been  sent  to 
China  in  vain  to  learn  of  our  whereabouts.  The  most 
hopeful  surmise  was  that  we  were  with  the  mission- 
aries, who  had  escaped  from  Kalgan  and  were  making 
their  way  across  the  desert  on  the  camel  route  to  Si- 
beria. To  relieve  what  I  knew  was  their  anxiety  I 
paid  eight  gold  dollars  to  send  two  words  to  my 
daughters.  These  were,  "  Safe,  prosperous."  After  a 
few  days  in  this  beautifully  situated  naval  fortress,  we 
returned  to  Khabarovsk,  to  continue  our  journey 
homeward  by  way  of  the  Amur  River  and  the  Siberian 
railroad.  An  idea  of  the  state  of  society  in  this  and 
all  other  principal  towns  in  Asiatic  Russia  may  be 
formed  from  the  fact  that  here  we  were  permitted 
to  attend  the  production  of  one  of  the  classic  operas, 
by  a  company  that  had  come  on  for  a  season  from 
Russia,  the  choruses  being  performed  by  a  local  so- 
ciety, all  supported  by  a  local  orchestra.  The  per- 
formance was  in  every  way  satisfactory. 

The  distance  to  Khabarovsk  is  four  hundred  miles, 
and  the  run  was  made  in  thirty  hours.  A  dining  car 
provided  excellent  meals  at  a  rouble  (about  fifty  cents) 
each.  The  second-class  carriages  had  comfortable 


Across  Asia  253 

sleeping  arrangements  without  charge ;  but  the  pas- 
senger had  to  supply  his  own  bedding,  as  is  the  case 
in  .  hotels  throughout  Asiatic  Russia.  The  fare  was 
only  a  cent  and  a  half  a  mile,  while  on  the  third-class 
cars  the  charge  was  less  than  a  cent  a  mile. 

UP  THE  AMUR 

Immediately  on  returning  from  Vladivostok,  we  took 
a  steamer  from  Khabarovsk  to  Blagovestchensk,  about 
five  hundred  miles  up  the  Amur  River,  having  been 
joined  by  three  interesting  traveling  companions,  Cap- 
tain Harford,  Captain  Smith-Dorrien,  and  Mr.  Wet- 
tekind.  Captain  Harford  had  taken  an  active  part  in 
the  Crimean  War,  and  afterwards  was  for  thirty 
years  English  consul  at  Sevastopol.  He  was  a  great 
admirer  of  Russia  and  her  institutions,  and  was  full 
of  information  of  every  sort  concerning  her  rulers  and 
people.  Captain  Smith-Dorrien  had  been  commander 
of  the  British  man-of-war  Bonaventura,  that  had  been 
stationed  at  Manila.  He  had  been  invited  home  for 
promotion  just  in  time  to  prevent  his  partaking  in  a 
most  important  transaction.  Soon  after  he  had  left 
the  ship,  it  was  ordered  to  Chinese  waters,  and  its 
captain  had  the  honor  of  receiving  the  surrender  of 
the  Chinese  fort,  Taku,  commanding  the  entrance  to 
Tientsin.  He  is  a  brother  of  the  General  Smith- 
Dorrien  of  South-African  fame.  Mr.  Wettekind  was 


254  Story  of  My  Life 

a  member  of  the  great  mercantile  firm  of  Kuntz  and 
Albert  of  Vladivostok.  A  more  agreeable  and  helpful 
company  of  companions  it  would  be  difficult  to  find. 

The  steamer  was  crowded  with  Russian  refugees 
from  Manchuria,  many  of  them  being  families  of  the 
engineers  who  had  so  hospitably  entertained  us.  Be- 
ing now  under  the  protection  of  Russia  and  in  Rus- 
sian territory  we  little  dreamed  of  any  further  dif- 
ficulty. For  two  days  our  steamer  wound  its  way 
along  the  tortuous  course  of  the  great  river,  with 
scarcely  anything  but  the  vast  plain  in  sight.  The 
breadth  of  the  stream  was  fully  a  mile.  On  the  third 
day  we  passed  diagonally  through  the  Bureya  Moun- 
tains, which  occupied  a  width  of  nearly  one  hundred 
miles,  furnishing  us  subdued  but  very  pleasing  scen- 
ery. Above  this  at  a  picturesque  Cossack  station, 
called  Radeska,  we  entered  a  broad  prairie  region, 
extending  to  Blagovestchensk,  a  distance  of  about  two 
hundred  miles,  where  the  elevation  is  but  three  hun- 
dred feet  above  the  sea,  though  a  thousand  miles  from 
the  mouth  of  the  river.  Our  feeling  of  security  was 
disturbed  by  discovering  that  we  had  on  board  two 
Chinese  mandarins,  whose  baggage  contained  inflam- 
matory appeals  to  their  countrymen  on  the  south  side 
of  the  river  to  rise  and  destroy  their  Russian  neighbors. 
We  also  met  a  number  of  steamers  and  barges,  taking 
down  from  Blagovestchensk  the  whole  garrison  of  the 


Across  Asia  255 

city,  numbering  five  thousand,  to  be  used  in  protecting 
Russian  interests  in  Harbin  and  throughout  Man- 
churia. 

About  one  hundred  miles  below  Blagovestchensk, 
shallow  water  compelled  us  to  disembark  at  Poyerkova, 
and  make  the  rest  of  our  distance  on  land.  After  a 
night's  rest,  we  drove  the  next  day  in  tarantasses  fifty 
miles  to  Gulvena,  a  thrifty  settlement  of  vegetarians 
(Molokani).  The  scene  was  a  beautiful  one,  when, 
about  sundown,  the  cattle  were  wending  their  way 
homeward  from  the  broad  flood-plain  of  the  Amur, 
and  seeking  their  nightly  resting  places  at  each  peas- 
ant's home.  But  the  people  were  in  a  state  of  great 
excitement  over  the  report  of  refugees,  that  the  Chinese 
had  crossed  the  river  a  few  miles  above  and  burned 
some  Russian  villages.  Moreover,  the  silence  was 
broken  from  time  to  time  by  the  sound  of  cannon 
from  the  Chinese  fort,  Aigun,  some  miles  up  the  river. 
As  a  consequence  every  family  in  the  village  packed 
the  women  and  children  and  valuable  household  goods 
into  carts,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  night  retired  into 
the  interior  of  the  country  for  safety;  but  we  were 
compelled  to  camp  on  the  floor  of  the  posthouse  and 
wait  the  developments  of  the  morning. 

As  no  Chinese  had  ventured  to  attack  the  village, 
the  peasants  mostly  came  back  in  the  morning  to  at- 
tend to  their  affairs.  Two  of  these  we  engaged  for 


256  Story  of  My  Life 

sixty  gold  dollars  to  drive  us  by  a  back  road  to  a  sta- 
tion twenty  miles  distant.  Here,  as  the  road  beyond 
was  reported  safe,  we  engaged  teams  to  take  us  the 
rest  of  our  journey  at  a  reasonable  price.  But  around 
a  semicircle  of  fifty  miles,  following  a  curve  of  the 
river  to  the  south,  majestic  columns  of  smoke  were 
seen  to  rise  from  twenty-five  or  thirty  points,  and  we 
soon  passed  the  ruins  of  a  small  village  that  had  been 
burned.  Not  long  after,  we  came  to  a  Chinese  set- 
tlement of  eight  or  ten  thousand  inhabitants,  which 
was  still  burning,  and  through  its  streets  were  com 
pelled  to  go  with  the  flames  roaring  on  either  side  and 
the  cinders  falling  upon  us  like  snow-flakes.  But  we 
reached  the  city  in  safety  and  brought  with  us  the  first 
news  from  below  that  they  had  obtained  for  two  or 
three  days. 

Blagovestchensk  was  then  a  city  of  some  30,000  in- 
habitants (it  is  now  70,000)  spread  out,  with  broad 
streets,  over  an  extensive  delta  terrace  between  the 
Zeya  and  Amur  rivers.  The  kind-hearted  and  un- 
suspicious Military  Governor  had  sent  the  entire  gar- 
rison of  the  city  to  the  defense  of  interests  lower  down 
the  river.  But  no  sooner  was  this  done,  than  a  Chi- 
nese army  ten  or  fifteen  thousand  strong,  appeared  on 
the  south  side  and  began  to  bombard  the  city.  A 
guard  was  hastily  recruited,  which,  with  their  scanty 


Across  Asia  257 

supply  of  small  arms,  made  such  a  show  that  the  Chi- 
nese did  not  attempt  to  cross  the  river.  While  we 
were  there,  however,  shells  were  bursting  constantly 
in  the  streets,  occasionally  killing  persons  who  were 
exposed ;  and  at  one  time  a  bullet  came  into  the  din- 
ing room  in  the  hotel,  on  a  back  street,  where  we  were 
staying. 

It  was  at  Blagovestchensk,  two  or  three  days  before 
we  arrived,  that  the  reported  terrible  massacre  of 
Chinese  occurred  for  which  the  Russians  were  so 
greatly  blamed.  The  facts  were  these:  There  were 
between  three  and  four  thousand  Chinese  peaceably 
living  in  the  city  when  on  Sunday  morning  the  Rus- 
sians were  waked  from  their  fancied  security  by  the 
bursting  of  shells  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  river, 
giving  them  the  first  intimation  that  the  war  was 
brought  to  their  doors.  It  was  evident  at  once  that 
it  would  not  do  to  have  Chinese  on  both  sides  of  them. 
Therefore  all  those  in  the  city  were  ordered  to  go 
across  the  river  and  join  their  companions.  Rafts 
were  hastily  constructed  a  little  above  the  city,  and  the 
Chinese  were  forced  upon  them  and  told  to  work  their 
way  over  to  the  other  bank.  For  reasons  not  known, 
the  Chinese  soldiers  on  the  other  side  began  to  can- 
nonade the  rafts.  A  panic  ensued,  and  in  the  com- 
motion the  rafts  went  to  pieces  and  the  whole  body  of 
refugees  perished  in  the  river.  It  was  full  of  their 


258  Story  of  My  Life 

floating  bodies  when  we  were  in  the  city.  I  counted 
a  hundred  at  one' time,  as  I  looked  down  from  a  pro- 
tected place  on  the  northern  bank.  But  so  far  as  we 
could  see,  and  this  was  the  opinion  of  Captain  Smith- 
Dorrien,  it  was  a  casualty  connected  with  a  military 
necessity  of  self-defense  for  which  the  Russians  could 
not  be  greatly  blamed. 

Young  as  was  the  city,  it  had  every  mark  of  a  high 
civilization.  Churches  of  fine  architectural  character 
abounded.  There  was  a  large  hospital,  whose  erec- 
tion had  been  stimulated  by  the  success  of  Pasteur's 
method  of  treatment.  There  was  a  music  store,  at 
which  I  purchased  a  large  quantity  of  Russian  music, 
which  Professor  G.  W.  Andrews  of  Oberlin  had  com- 
missioned me  to  procure  for  him;  while  a  short  time 
before  we  were  there  Saint-Saens'  opera  of  "  Samson 
and  Delilah  "  had  been  given  in  the  city,  the  choruses 
being  sung  by  local  talent  while  the  solos  were  given 
by  the  members  of  the  opera  troupe  which  we  heard  in 
Vladivostok. 

After  remaining  about  a  week  in  this  beleaguered 
city,  we  were  able,  by  driving  twenty  miles  across  the 
country,  to  find  a  steamer  which  had  brought  Russian 
troops  down  and  sent  them  overland  for  the  defense 
of  the  city.  This  we  boarded  on  its  return  trip  for 
more  soldiers.  But  as  the  Chinese  still  occupied  the 
south  side  of  the  river,  we  were  compelled  to  take 


Across  Asia  259 

staterooms  on  the  other  side  of  the  boat.  Progress 
was  slow,  partly  because  of  shallow  water,  and  partly 
from  fear  of  attack.  At  Ignashina,  the  most  northern 
point  reached  by  the  river,  latitude  53°  40',  we  passed 
the  ruins  of  the  most  flourishing  Chinese  settlement 
on  the  upper  Amur,  which  five  days  before  had  been 
burned  to  the  ground.  But  even  at  this  high  latitude 
we  had  failed  to  see  any  indications  of  glacial  occupa- 
tion. At  Pokrovka,  where  the  Argun  and  Shilka  unite 
to  form  the  Amur,  we  turned  up  the  Shilka  and  pro- 
ceeded to  Stryetensk,  where  we  met  the  trans-Siberian 
railroad.  At  various  points  below,  we  had  passed 
many  steamers  with  barges  loaded  'with  soldiers  on 
their  Way  to  the  seat  of  war,  and  a  number  of  rafts, 
on  which  emigrants  from  Russia,  with  their  live  stock 
and  their  household  goods,  were  slowly  floating  down 
the  stream  to  find  homes  in  the  fertile  prairies  that 
abound  along  the  middle  and  lower  Amur,  the  logs  of 
the  raft  being  available  for  the  construction  of  the 
favorite  Russian  house. 

On  arriving  at  Stryetensk,  the  terminus  at  that  time 
of  the  Siberian  railroad,  Captain  Smith-Dorrien  and 
Mr.  Wettekind  separated  themselves  from  us  and 
went  forward  from  this  point  by  express  train,  and 
we  saw  them  no  more.  Captain  Harford,  however, 
went  more  leisurely,  so  that  we  met  him  again  at  Ir- 
kutsk, where  we,  also,  finally  separated.  But  it  is 


260  Story  of  My  Life 

pleasant  to  note  that  twice  in  subsequent  years  he 
turned  aside  to  visit  us  in  America,  while  passing  to 
and  from  his  post  at  Manila. 

TRANSBAIKALIA 

The  distance  from  Stryetensk  to  Lake  Baikal  is 
about  six  hundred  miles.  The  railway  passes  over 
the  continental  divide  of  Asia,  rising  to  about  four 
thousand  feet  a  little  west  of  Chita.  The  Yablonoi 
Mountains,  forming  the  crest  of  this  divide,  run  south- 
west to  northeast,  extending  continuously  from  Mon- 
golia to  Bering  Strait.  On  the  southeast  they  are  bor- 
dered by  a  plafeau  about  twenty-five  hundred  feet 
above  the  sea.  This  is  here  about  two  hundred  mile.> 
wide,  and  possesses  a  climate  and  flora  of  its  own, 
both  of  which  are  favorable  to  settlement.  All  grains 
ripen  readily  when  there  is  sufficient  water,  and  every- 
where on  the  uplands  there  is  good  pasturage.  Im- 
mense herds  of  cattle  were  visible  almost  everywhere 
from  the  car  windows.  Though  the  good  land  is  by 
no  means  all  occupied,  there  was  already  in  Transbai- 
kalia a  population  of  about  700,000.  It  is  now 
900,000. 

Nerchinsk,  the  first  principal  town  passed  through 
west  of  Stryetensk,  has  been  for  two  hundred  years  a 
center  of  mining  operations,  to  which  the  government 
has  sent  convicts  sentenced  to  hard  labor.  The  city 


Across  Asia  261 

had  in  1900  a  population  of  6,700,  and  the  department 
of  91,000.  Chita,  a  city  of  12,000  (it  is  now  70,000), 
where  we  stopped  two  days,  is  the  capital  of  the  prov- 
ince. One  is  surprised  not  only  at  the  beauty  of  its 
situation,  but  at  the  fertility  of  the  surrounding  coun- 
try. Its  public  and  school  buildings  were  numerous 
and  imposing,  but  its  streets  entirely  without  pave- 
ments. 

The  territory  from  Chita  to  Lake  Baikal  consists 
in  the  main  of  a  plateau,  three  hundred  miles  wide 
and  about  five  thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  in  which 
the  headwaters  of  the  Amur,  the  Lena,  and  the  Yenisei 
take  their  rise  at  a  common  level.  This  tract  is  bleak 
and  well-nigh  uninhabitable.  It,  too,  extends  from 
the  plains  of  Mongolia  to  the  vicinity  of  Bering  Strait. 
But  the  rivers  have  deeply  eroded  its  surface,  and  fur- 
nished in  their  courses  long  lines  of  fertile  fields. 
These  are  specially  open  to  settlement  towards  the 
south.  The  railroad  passes  over  the  eastern  border 
into  the  valley  of  the  Khilok,  and  for  two  hundred 
miles  finds  productive  lands,  congenial  climate,  and 
prosperous  settlements.  At  Petrovskia  we  found  a 
large  and  flourishing  village  gathered  about  a  blast 
furnace  founded  by  Peter  the  Great.  The  iron  ore  is 
near  by,  and  the  mountains  furnish  wood  for  charcoal 
to  an  unlimited  extent. 

At  Verkhni  Udinsk  on  the  Selenga  River  we  struck 


262  Story  of  My  Life 

the  great  caravan  route  from  Kalgan,  China,  across 
Mongolia.  Over  this  route  for  hundreds  of  years  the 
.tea  and  many  other  commodities  used  in  Russia  have 
been  brought  on  camels'  backs.  The  city  had  in  1900 
a  population  of  8,000.  In  midwinter,  it  is  the  scene 
of  an  enormous  'fair,  at  which  millions  of  dollars' 
worth  of  goods  are  sold  every  year.  Heretofore  the 
best  time  to  cross  Lake  Baikal  and  for  traveling  in 
general  in  this  region  has  been  in  the  winter,  when  it 
is  frozen  over.  But  all  this  has  rapidly  changed  now 
that  the  railroad  is  an  accomplished  fact. 

LAKE   BAIKAL 

Lake  Baikal  is  one  of  the  five  largest  bodies  of  fresh 
water  in  the  world.  It  is  more  than  four  hundred 
miles  long  and  from  sixteen  to  fifty  miles  wide,  hav- 
ing an  area  of  12,430  square  miles..  It. lies  in  a  longi- 
tudinal basin  in  a  vast  mountain  plateau,  which  ex- 
tends in  a  northeasterly  direction  from  Central  Asia 
to  Bering  Strait.  The  northern  half  is  shallow,  being 
nowhere  much  more  than  two  hundred  feet  in  depth, 
while  the  southern  part  has  the  astonishing  depth  of 
4,186  feet.  As  the  surface  of  the  lake  is  only  1,561 
feet  above  sea  level,  its  bottom  must  be  2,625  feet  De~ 
low  sea  level.  Unlike  the  Great  Lakes  of  America, 
Lake  Baikal  is  not  an  aid,  but  a  hindrance,  to  com- 
merce and  travel.  If  the  four  hundred  miles  of  its 


Across  Asia  263 

length  lay  in  the  line  of  traffic,  it  could  be  utilized 
with  profit  for  the  use  of  steamboats.  But,  as  it  is,  it 
lies  directly  athwart  this  line  and  presents  its  rugged 
shores  and  deep  water  as  an  obstruction,  which  can 
be  overcome  only  by  a  detour  of  about  two  hundred 
miles  which  the  railroad  is  compelled  to  make  around 
its  southern  end.  Before  the  days  of  the  railroad, 
however,  it  was  utilized  in  the  winter  by  sledges, 
which  crossed  on  the  ice  and  made  it  a  scene  of  busy 
traffic.  The  great  caravan  route  running  from  Kal- 
gan  in  China  across  the  Mongolian  desert,  passing 
Urga  and  Kiakhta,  then  followed  down  the  Selenga 
River  to  its  mouth,  whence,  for  several  months  in  the 
winter,  little  villages  used  to  dot  the  surface  along 
the  line  of  the  route  across  the  lake,  and  make  every- 
thing gay  and  lively. 

The  importance  of  this  whole  region  is  little  under- 
stood by  the  general  public  outside  of  Russia.  Lake 
Baikal  separates  two  of  the  richest  and  most  populous 
provinces  of  Siberia  (Irkutsk  and  Transbaikalai),  prov- 
inces which  have  been  settled  for  nearly  three  hun- 
dred years  and  at  the  close  of  the  nineteenth  century 
had  a  population  of  nearly  2,000,000,  only  six  or  seven 
per  cent  of  whom  were  exiles,  many  of  whom  proved 
in  the  end  to  be  most  enterprising  and  patriotic  citizens. 

In  the  thirteenth  century  the  region  just  to  the  south 
played  a  most  important  part  in  the  world's  history. 


264  Story  of  My  Life 

It  was  in  the  valley  of  the  Onon  River,  near  the  head- 
waters of  the  Selenga,  that  Genghis  Khan  was  born. 
After  gaining  the  ascendency  over  the  tribes  in  his  own 
valley  and  recruiting  his  forces  from  the  sympathetic 
inhabitants  of  the  upper  Selenga,  this  remarkable  man 
conquered  China,  and,  turning,  swept  with  an  irre- 
sistible force  over  the  northwestern  frontier  of  Mon- 
golia, thence  down  the  depression  followed  by  the 
Irtysh  River  and  along  the  irrigated  belt  at  the  north- 
ern base  of  the  Tian-Shan  Mountains  into  Turkestan, 
and  thence  onward  beyond  the  Caspian  and  Black  seas 
to  the  banks  of  the  Dnieper  in  Russia,  where  he  won  a 
great  victory  over  the  army  of  that  nation.  It  was 
the  westward  wave  of  the  Mongols  from  the  valley 
of  the  Onon  and  the  Selenga  which  drove  the  T.urks 
across  the  Bosporus  and  so  permanently  affected  the 
history  of  Europe. 

Lake  Baikal  presents  scientific  problems  which  arc 
of  great  popular  interest.  One  of  these  is  the  exist- 
ence in  it  of  great  numbers  of  arctic  seal.  As  it  is  now 
1,561  feet  above  sea  level,  and,  as  the  river  runs,  two 
thousand  miles  from  the  sea,  it  is  an  interesting  ques- 
tion to  determine  how  these  seal  could  have  got  into 
the  lake.  The  only  satisfactory  theory  is  that  there 
has  been  a  geologically  recent  depression  of  land,  per- 
mitting arctic  waters  to  extend  all  over  northwestern 
Siberia  to  a  depth  of  1,500  to  2,OOO  feet.  This  would 


Across  Asia  265 

permit  the  distribution  of  the  seal  to  Lake  Baikal,  as 
well  as  to  the  Aral  and  Caspian  seas,  where  they  are 
also  found.  On  the  reelevation  of  the  land,  these  seas 
became  separated,  both  from  the  ocean  and  each  other, 
leaving  the  seal  in  these  remote  places. 

Another  problem  on  which  Lake  Baikal  sheds  light, 
relates  to  the  date  of  the  great  earth  movements  which 
took  place  during  the, Tertiary  period.  The  depres- 
sion in  which  the  lake  is  situated  is  still  the  center  of 
important  earthquakes.  These  are  especially  effective 
about  the  mouth  of  the  Selenga  River.  As  late  as 
1862  an  extensive  area,  covering  the  delta  of  this 
river,  disappeared  below  the  level  of  the  lake,  thus 
indicating  that  the  deep  water  at  the  south  end  is 
caused  by  the  sinking  of  the  bottom.  In  short,  it  is  a 
synclinal  basin  formed  during  the  geological  disturb- 
ances which,  all  over  the  world,  produced  the  moun- 
tain systems  of  the  Tertiary  period.  By  estimating  the 
amount  of  sediment  which  comes  down  the  Selengn 
River  and  settles  in  the  southern  basin,  I  have  else- 
where 1  shown  that  it  would  have  filled  the  whole 
basin  in  500,000  years.  But  up  to  the  present  time  it 
has  accomplished  less  than  one-quarter  of  this  work, 
giving  a  maximum  date  of  100,000  years  to  the  be- 
ginning of  the  geological  convulsions  which  formed  the 
lake. 

So  far  as  we  can  see,  Lake  Baikal  in  the  future  is 


266  Story  of  My  Life 

to  render  only  two  important  services  to  the  world; 
its  innumerable  sequestered  nooks  of  great  sublimity 
and  beauty  will  provide  summer  retreats  for  the  care- 
worn and  weary  multitudes  that  are  destined  to  fill 
the  adjoining  regions;  -and  it  will  be  an  unfailing 
reservoir,  furnishing  a  constant  supply  of  water  for 
the  power  destined  to  be  developed  along  the  banks  ot 
the  rapid  Angara  River,  which  descends  by  a  steep 
gradient  to  the  city  of  Irkutsk. 

IRKUTSK   TO   KRASNOYARSK 

The  gigantic  mountain  wall  which  surrounds  Lake 
Baikal  has  an  opening  rt  one  point  only.  This  is  well 
toward  the  southern  end,  and  through  it  the  clear 
sparkling  water  rushes  with  great  rapidity,  and  in 
volume  more  than  half  that  of  Niagara.  Forty  miles 
below  is  the  city  of  Irkutsk,  between  which  and  the 
lake  steamers  run  with  more  regularity  than  is  usual  in 
Siberian  waters,  for  so  great  is  the  reservoir  that  the 
depth  of  the  stream  varies  but  little.  The  descent  is 
eighty  feet,  but,  as  the  distance  is  greatly  increased  by 
the  windings  of  the  river,  the  current  is  easily  over- 
come by  the  power  of  steam.  Altogether  the  trip  is 
delightful  in  the  extreme.  Irkutsk,  the  capital  of 
central  Siberia,  in  1900  was  a  city  of  70,000,  in  1908 
had  increased  to  108,000.  Its  situation  is  in  a  beau- 
tiful broad  valley,  through  which  the  Angara,  the 


Across  Asia  267 

principal  eastern  branch  of  the  Yenisei,  flows.  The 
headwaters  of  the  Lena  River  are  not  far  to  the  north- 
east, making  the  city  the  commercial  center  of  two  of 
the  largest  river  systems  of  the  world.  If  we  reckon 
the  length  of  the  Yenisei  up  the  Angara  to  Lake 
Baikal,  and  thence  up  the  Selenga  to  its  source  on  the 
Mongolian  plateau,  we  have  a  length  of  water  course 
which  exceeds  the  Missouri-Mississippi  by  two  or 
three  hundred  miles. 

Like  all  Siberian  cities,  most  of  the  houses  in  Irkutsk 
are  made  of  logs.  When  we  were  there  the  principal 
hotel  was  of  logs.  But  the  city  abounds  in  magnificent 
churches,  and  has  an  opera  house  equal  to  anything 
west  of  the  Alleghanies  in  the  United  States,  and  a 
museum  of  imposing  dimensions  and  impressive  char- 
acter. We  were  invited  to  dinner  by  the  Military 
Governor,  who  told  us,  as  we  came  away,  that  the 
palatial  dwelling  in  which  he  resided  was  built  by  an 
exile,  and  was  purchased  from  him  by  the  govern- 
ment. This,  with  other  similar  experiences,  led  us  to 
infer  that  the  exiles  had  had  unusual  opportunities  to 
select  eligible  places  for  residence,  and  to  build  up  a 
civilization  that  must  have  gone  far  to  discount  the 
evils  connected  with  the  exile  system.  The  fact  is, 
that  the  most  of  the  political  exiles,  especially  those 
sent  away  for  conspiring  against  the  inauguration  of 
Nicholas  I.,  about  1825,  represented  the  highest  order 


268  Story  of  My  Life 

of  intelligence  and  enterprise  of  Russia,  and  carried 
with  them  into  its  wilds  such  a  civilization  that  when 
their  disabilities  were  removed  they  in  considerable 
part  elected  to  remain  in  Siberia. 

In  Irkutsk  we  found  bathhouses  in  abundance  and 
a  public  reading  room  with  a  good  supply  of  English 
papers  and  magazines.  The  boast  of  the  city  was  that 
it  had  no  municipal  debt  and  that  there  was  a  con- 
siderable fund  in  hand  to  meet  some  of  the  necessary 
expenses.  As  an  offset,  however,  it  is  to  be  noted  that 
it  had  no  pavements,  no  waterworks,  no  adequate 
sewers,  no  street  cars,  and  no  public  electric  lights. 
Doubtless  all  these  conditions  will  change  as  a  result 
of  the  vast  movement  of  population  into  the  whole  re- 
gion since  the  opening  of  the  present  century. 

It  is  six  hundred  miles  in  a  direct  line  from  Irkutsk 
on  the  Angara  to  Krasnoyarsk  on  the  Yenisei.  The 
old  Siberian  wagon-road  and  now  the  railway  traverse 
this  along  what  was  originally  a  near'y  level  plain  of 
stratified  rock.  This  area  contains  twice  as  much  fer- 
tile soil  as  the  state  of  Illinois  and  is  destired  event- 
ually to  be  as  thickly  populated.  The  climate,  though 
cold  in  winter,  is  warm  enough  in  summer  to  ripen 
most  varieties  of  grain.  The  pastures  are  green  and 
support  large  herds  of  cattle  and  horses  as  well  as  end- 
less flocks  of  sheep.  The  streams  which  cross  the  plain 


Across  Asia  269 

come  down  from  the  Mongolian  plateau  at  the  south, 
and  abound  in  placer  mines  in  their  upper  portions, 
so  that  long  ago  a  line  of  flourishing  towns  had  existed 
near  where  the  rivers  emerge  from  the  auriferous  belt. 
At  Krasnoyarsk,  where  a  Russian  fort  was  es- 
tablished early  in  the  seventeenth  century,  we  found 
an  attractive  city  of  20,000  inhabitants,  which  has 
since  grown  to  80,000.  The  Yenisei  is  here  about  the 
size  of  the  Mississippi  above  its  junction  with  the 
Missouri,  but  in  its  downward  course  it  has  come 
through  very  different  scenery.  For  the  first  seventy- 
five  miles  above  the  city,  the  river  winds  its  way 
through  a  tortuous  channel  which  it  has  cut  across  a 
low  mountain  range  parallel  with  the  edge  of  the 
Mongolian  plateau,  which  runs  southwest  and  north- 
east. In  ascending  the  river  on  the  fine  steamboats 
which  ply  upon  its  surface,  one  is  struck  with  the  num- 
ber and  variety  of  rafts  coming  down  stream,  loaded 
with  watermelons,  hay,  and  grain,  indicating  a  fruit- 
ful region  above.  The  owners  of  these  rafts,  on  reach- 
ing Krasnoyarsk,  sell  everything  they  have,  even  to 
the  timbers  of  the  raft,  and  remain  in  the  city  till  the 
river  freezes  over,  when  they  go  back  upon  the  ice. 

MINUSINSK 

After  passing  through  this  low  mountain  range,  we 
emerge,  in  ascending  the  river,  into  an  area  of  com- 


270  Story  of  My  Life 

paratively  level  and  very  fertile  land,  about  one  hun- 
dred miles  in  diameter,  which  is  appropriately  spoken 
of  as  the  Italy  of  Siberia.  This  is  the  district  of 
Minusinsk,  which,  notwithstanding  its  secluded  posi- 
tion, has  been  occupied  by  a  highly  civilized  popula- 
tion from  the  earliest  periods  of  history.  To  see  the 
evidences  of  this  in  the  admirable  museum  with  which 
the  city  of  Minusinsk  is  provided,  we  ascended  the 
river  three  hundred  miles  from  the  railroad. 

The  museum  is  a  tribute  to  the  enterprise  and  gen- 
erosity of  one  of  its  leading  but  most  modest  citizens, 
Mr.  N.  M.  Martianoff,  a  pharmacist  of  the  town, 
but  a  botanist  of  international  reputation.  In  the 
work  of  collecting,  however,  he  has  been  assisted 
largely  by  several  political  exiles,  prominent  among 
whom  was  the  brother  of  Prince  Kropotkin,  of  whose 
tragic  fate  Mr.  Kennan  gives  an  account.  In  1887 
there  was  erected  a  commodious  two-story  fireproof 
building  to  hold  the  large  number  of  objects  of  local 
interest  which  were  accumulating  on  his  hands.  This 
is  now  filled  with  more  than  50,000  specimens,  scien- 
tifically classified  and  arranged  for  the  inspection  of 
the  public.  With  the  exception  of  a  small  but  excel- 
lent pedagogical  section,  the  museum  is  entirely  de- 
voted to  the  collection  and  preservation  of  objects 
from  the  vicinity.  The  rich  mining  region  in  the 
neighborhood  supplies  a  remarkable  variety  of  ores  and 


Across  Asia  271 

minerals,  while  the  extensive  Silurian,  Devonian,  Car- 
boniferous, and  Jurassic  strata  of  the  vicinity  furnish 
a  very  complete  set  of  fossils  for  those  portions  of  the 
geologic  record.  The  flora  of  the  region  is  also  one  of 
the  richest  in  the  world.  This  is  represented  in  the 
museum  by  about  800  flowering  and  as  many  cryp- 
togamic  species  of  plants;  while,  of  the  lower  fungi, 
1,300  species  have  been  collected,  124  of  which,  and, 
perhaps,  more,  are  new. 

But  to  the  ordinary  visitor  the  archaeological  and 
anthropological  collections  are  of  greatest  interest.  In- 
deed, so  important  are  these  that  the  societies  at  Stock- 
holm and  Moscow  have  published  elaborate  mono- 
graphs upon  them.  The  palaeolithic  age  is  but  slightly 
and  doubtfully  represented  in  the  collection.  The 
neolithic  age,  is,  however,  quite  fully  and  certainly  rep- 
resented by  a  variety  of  implements  and  some  pottery 
which  reminds  one  of  the  collections  of  Indian  relics 
in  America.  But  it  is  in  the  relics  of  the  bronze  age 
and  of  its  transition  into  the  iron  age  that  the  museum 
can  specially  glory.  These  have  been  collected  from 
the  mounds  and  burial  places  by  the  thousand. 
They  consist  of  swords,  knives,  daggers,  axes,  and 
ornaments  of  various  kinds,  all  showing  great  skill 
in  their  manufacture  and  much  taste  in  their  design. 
Among  the  daggers  are  some  with  iron  handles  and 
bronze  blades,  and  others  with  bronze  handles  and 


272  Story  of  My  Life 

iron  blades.  Among  the  objects  disinterred  are  sev- 
eral silver  medallions  of  the  Han  dynasty,  in  China, 
which  must  be  more  than  2,000  years  old.  These, 
with  various  other  things,  indicate  a  Chinese  oc- 
cupancy at  that  early  day.  There  are  evidences, 
also,  that  even  then  the  iron  and  copper  mines  of  the 
region  were  worked.  Some  of  the  crucibles  of  that 
time  are  on  exhibition  in  the  museum.  There  are  also 
various  early  inscriptions  of  uncertain  significance,  but 
evidently  in  alphabetical  characters,  gathered  from  the 
burial  places  and  ruined  shrines.  The  Post-Pliocene 
deposits,  too,  have  yielded  abundant  relics  of  the  mam- 
moth, the  rhinoceros,  and  the  gigantic  elk  that  oc- 
cupied the  region  during  the  palaeolithic  age. 

Altogether  the  museum  is  one  of  the  most  interest- 
ing to  be  found  anywhere  in  the  world,  and  it  sheds  a 
flood  of  light  on  the  bright  side  of  life  in  Siberia;  for 
all  the  larger  towns  of  Siberia  are  supplied  with  mu- 
seums which,  by  their  appearance,  bear  witness  not 
only  to  the  high  intelligence  of  their  founders,  but  to 
the  appreciation  of  the  general  public.  Already  the 
large  room  in  which  was  collected  the  excellent  library 
of  this  museum  was  overcrowded  with  books,  and  a 
commodious  fireproof  library  building  was  nearly  com- 
pleted on  a  lot  adjoining.  All  this  in  a  secluded  town 
three  hundred  miles  from  the  main  line  of  Siberian 
travel. 


Across  Asia  273 

KRASNOYARSK   TO    OMSK 

From  Krasnoyarsk  on  the  Yenisei  to  Omsk  on  the 
Irtysh  River  is  738  miles,  but  nearly  the  whole  of  the 
distance  is  within  and  directly  across  the  drainage 
basin  of  the  Obi  River.  The  Chulym  River,  one  of 
the  principal  eastern  tributaries  of  the  Obi,  is  crossed 
at  Achinsk,  only  forty  miles  west  of  Krasnoyarsk. 
Indeed,  in  one  place  where  the  streams  are  still  navi- 
gable, the  tributaries  of  the  Yenisei  and  of  the  Obi  are 
within  six  miles  of  each  other.  It  is  a  singular  fact 
of  physical  geography  that  all  the  long  branches  of  the 
Yenisei  are  on  the  east  side,  while  most  of  those  of 
the  Obi  are  on  the  western  side.  But  really  the  proper 
continuation  of  the  Obi  is  its  middle  branch,  the 
Irtysh,  which  is  in  itself  a  river  1,800  miles  in  length, 
whose  source  is  far  up  on  the  Mongolian  plateau. 

The  garden  of  western  Siberia  (south  of  the  fifty- 
sixth  degree  of  latitude)  lies  in  the  valley  of  the  Obi 
for  a  distance  of  three  hundred  miles.  Here  there  are 
100,000  square  miles  of  well-watered,  fertile  prairie 
land,  with  a  climate  permitting  the  ripening  of  the 
most  important  cereals,  and  in  every  way  as  well 
adapted  to  cultivation  as  are  the  plains  of  Minnesota. 
Already  there  is  in  this  belt  a  population  of  nearly 
4,000,000.  Much  of  the  territory  is  also  underlaid  by 
coal-bearing  deposits.  Although  these  are  mostly  of 
Jurassic  age,  and  carry  a  coal  that  is  light — almost 


274  Story  of  My  Life 

lignite — still  it  promises  to  supply  the  want  of  fuel 
fairly  well,  and  is  being  mined  extensively.  Through- 
out most  of  Siberia,  wood  is  still  so  plentiful  that  the 
locomotives  ordinarily  use  it  for  fuel;  but  here  they 
use  domestic  coal. 

At  all  the  important  places  in  Siberia  touched  by  the 
railroad,  new  cities  are  growing  up  about  the  stations. 
The  old  cities  are  built  almost  entirely  of  wood.  Even 
most  of  the  best  houses  are  of  logs.  But  the  new  cities 
are  growing  up  like  magic  out  of  brick.  In  due  time 
all  will  have  to  follow  suit  and  build  of  brick,  for  the 
wood  is  rapidly  disappearing.  Logs  are,  however,  the 
easiest  material  from  which  to  construct  a  house  suited 
to  withstand  the  severe  winters  of  Siberia. 

The  name  of  the  station  where  the  railroad  crosses 
the  Obi  River  is  Ob,  which  until  lately  has  not  ap- 
peared on  the  maps.  The  old  city  on  the  river  was 
called  Krivostchekova,  and  was  an  important  place  of 
10,000  inhabitants.  Connected  with  this  place  by 
steamer  up  the  river  are  the  flourishing  cities  of  Bar- 
naul and  Biisk,  with  populations  respectively  of  61,000 
and  18,000;  while  a  short  distance  below  is  Tomsk, 
with  a  population  of  112,000,  and  a  university  of  wide 
renown.  One  finds,  therefore,  that  in  coming  to  this 
part  of  Siberia,  he  is  not  out  of  the  world.  The  mass 
of  the  people  look  and  appear  much  as  they  do  in  any 
European  city.  The  teachers  in  the  schools  are  highly 


Across  Asia  275 

educated  men.  More  than  once,  when  my  Russian 
and  French  were  insufficient  for  conversation,  I  was 
asked  to  converse  in  Latin. 

But  Omsk,  on  the  Irtysh,  is  333  miles  west  of  Ob. 
Here  we  found  a  city,  184  years  old,  of  42,000  (it  is 
now  130,000)  inhabitants,  which  reminded  us  more 
of  America  than  anything  else  we  had  seen.  Not  that 
the  architecture  was  like  ours,  for  it  was  not.  The 
houses  were  nearly  all  of  logs,  and  the  schools  and 
other  public  buildings  of  brick  in  plain  style,  painted 
white.  The  churches,  too,  were  typically  Russian,  with 
lofty  domes  and  cupolas.  But  there  was  a  brisk  com- 
mercial air  about  the  place,  which  reminded  one  of  the 
towns  on  the  Ohio  River.  Steamboats  were  coming 
and  going,  and  the  barges  they  had  brought  in  were 
busy  unloading  their  cargoes.  Numerous  rafts  had 
also  come  down  the  river  loaded  with  watermelons. 
In  the  stores  the  display  of  fruit  was  remarkable.  But 
it  was  all  imported. 

As  there  was  no  further  light  to  be  shed  upon  the 
Glacial  epoch  in  western  Siberia,  we  left  the  railroad 
at  Omsk  to  visit  Turkestan,  the  road  to  which  would 
lead  us  for  many  hundred  miles  along  the  base  of  the 
Tian-Shan  Mountains,  where  we  might  hope  to  make 
observations  concerning  the  glacial  conditions  of  the 
mountainous  regions  of  Central  Asia.  Here,  there- 


276  Story  of  My  Life 

fore,  is  the  proper  place  to  say  a  few  words  about  the 
general  conditions  of  Siberia.  In  comparing  the  sta- 
tistics at  hand  in  1900  with  those  of  the  present  time, 
one  is  impressed  with  the  rapid  growth  of  that  portion 
of  the  Russian  Empire.  In  1900  the  population  of 
Siberia  proper  was  approximately  7,600,000.  Accord- 
ing to  the  available  statistics  in  1912,  the  latest  at 
hand,  it  had  risen  to  10,800,000.  In  several  of  the 
provinces,  the  growth  has  been  really  phenomenal. 
The  population  of  Tomsk  has  increased  from  1,929,- 
092  to  3,855,200;  Yeniseisk  has  increased  from  559,- 
902  to  970,800;  the  maritime  provinces  from  220,557 
to  572,000. 

This  growth  has  been  largely  through  immigration, 
although  the  birth  rate  in  Siberia  is  phenomenally 
large.  The  settlers  consist  of  Cossacks  and  peasants, 
who  have  emigrated  in  villages,  carrying  with  them 
their  communal  organization.  To  a  large  extent  the 
immigrants  have  been  directed  by  the  government  to 
the  outlying  portions  of  the  country,  especially  towards 
the  Mongolian  border,  where  they  would  provide  a 
natural  defense  of  the  country.  The  Russian  govern- 
ment secures  remarkably  cheap  transportation  for  the 
immigrants  and  lends  them  money  without  interest 
for  several  years  until  they  become  established,  and 
only  then  imposes  taxes  upon  them. 

The  future  of  Siberia  is  one  of  great  promise.     Else- 


Across  Asia  277 

where  (in  "Asiatic  Russia")  I  have  estimated  that 
nine  states  of  the  size  of  Illinois,  and  with  about  equal 
agricultural  resources,  could  be  carved  out  of  the  ter- 
ritory of  southe'rn  Siberia;  while  the  mining  interests, 
the  water  power,  and  the  facilities  for  internal  naviga- 
tion render  the  population  independent  of  outside  com- 
merce, except  in  exchange  for  various  luxuries  of  the 
tropics  and  the  products  of  older  civilizations.  Siberia 
alone  can  easily  support  a  population  of  100,000,000. 

FOURTEEN    HUNDRED    MILES    BY   TARANTASS 

The  exact  distance  was  1,406  miles.  We  did  not 
contemplate  quite  so  long  a  ride;  for  our  plan  was  to 
ascend  the  Irtysh  River  from  Omsk  to  Semipalatinsk, 
and  go  by  tarantass  from  that  city  to  Tashkent,  in 
Turkestan,  which  would  be  a  round  twelve  hundred 
miles.  But  the  water  in  the  Irtysh  River  was  so  low 
that  we  had  to  abandon  the  steamboat  when  a  little 
more  than  half  way  up,  and  begin  our  tarantass  ex- 
perience at  Pavlodara,  two  hundred  miles  below  Semi- 
palatinsk. 

The  postroads  of  the  Russian  Empire  are  one  of  its 
most  commendable  features.  There  are  12,979  miles 
of  them  in  its  Asiatic  domain.  These  run  from  the 
Ural  Mountains  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  from  the 
Caspian  Sea  to  the  Peninsula  of  Kamchatka.  So  good 
are  these  roads,  and  so  perfect  are  the  arrangements 


278  Story  of  My  Life 

for  transportation  over  them,  that  the  delay  in  build- 
ing railroads  has  not  been  so  keenly  felt  as  it  other- 
wise would  have  been.  We  have  heard  much  about 
the  rapid  traveling  in  Siberia  by  sledges  in  winter,  but 
travel  in  the  summer  is  equally  expeditious. 

All  along  these  post  routes,  stations  are  extablished 
at  an  average  distance  of  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  apart. 
At  each  station  there  is  a  comfortable  house,  with  two 
or  three  public  rooms  provided  with  from  two  to  four 
sofas  or  mattresses,  a  few  chairs,  and  a  table  and  look- 
ing-glass. A  family  occupies  the  house,  and  is  bound 
to  be  ready,  at  very  small  cost,  to  provide  each  com- 
pany of  travelers  with  hot  water  and  bread;  usually, 
also,  with  milk  and  eggs.  The  traveler  is  expected  to 
provide  himself  with  tea  and  sugar,  and  to  carry  his 
own  pillows,  sheets,  and  blankets.  At  each  station, 
also,  the  government  provides  a  bountiful  supply  of 
horses.  Over  the  route  of  our  travel  there  were  from 
twenty-five  to  thirty  at  each  station.  But  that  does 
not  always  insure  prompt  attention;  for  the  govern- 
ment is  merciful  to  its  animals,  and  rigidly  enforces 
the  rule  that  the  horses  shall  have  three  hours'  rest 
between  trips.  It  not  infrequently  happens,  therefore, 
that  the  traveler  has  to  spend  several  of  the  best  hours 
of  the  day  in  waiting  for  the  horses  to  fill  out  their 
allotted  times  of  rest.  But,  with  this  exception,  the 
station  master  is  compelled  at  any  hour  of  the  day  or 


Across  Asia  279 

night  to  provide  you  with  an  outfit  to  carry  you  to 
the  next  station  with  the  greatest  possible  despatch. 

As  to  tarantasses,  each  station  has  a  sufficient  sup- 
ply on  hand;  but  persons  who  take  long  journeys  usu- 
ally prefer  to  have  their  own,  so  as  to  avoid  the  fre- 
quent transfers  of  baggage.  As  our  journey  was  a 
long  one,  we  decided  to  buy  a  tarantass  at  once.  At 
the  station  house  at  Pavlodara  we  found  a  second- 
hand, or  more  probably  a  fourth-hand,  one  for  sale. 
In  its  day  it  had  been  one  of  the  most  elegant  and 
luxurious  of  its  kind.  But  all  tarantasses  are  essen- 
tially alike.  The  general  shape  of  the  box  in  which 
you  ride  is  like  that  of  a  modern  bathtub.  There  are 
no  seats  inside.  You  are  expected  to  have  mattresses 
and  pillows  enough  to  cover  the  bottom,  and  to  ride 
in  a  reclining  position.  Thus  it  is  really  a  sleeping 
coach,  in  which,  over  smooth  roads,  one  can  travel 
as  well  by  night  as  by  day. 

Our  tarantass  was  provided  with  a  top  cover  of 
leather  over  the  rear  end,  and  an  ample  leather  apron 
to  pull  up  before  us  when  necessary  to  keep  out  the 
rain  or  dust  or  wind  or  cold  air.  Like  all  others, 
this  riding  gear  was  mounted  upon  a  sort  of  "  buck- 
board  "  arrangement  which  had  little  spring,  but  was 
very  strong.  It  was  all  anchored  to  the  axletrees  by 
large  and  firmly  bolted  iron  rods.  As  it  had  already 
seen  much  service,  we  thought  the  weak  points  had 


280  Story  of  My  Life 

been  well  eliminated  by  a  process  of  natural  selection; 
so  that  what  was  left  could  be  trusted  to  endure  to 
the  end.  It  was  a  "  troika," — a  vehicle  drawn  by  three 
horses, — one  in  the  shafts  to  guide  the  vehicle  and  hold 
it  back  when  going  down  hill,  the  other  two,  one  on 
each  side,  to  draw.  A  bell  was  hung  upon  the  horses' 
necks  in  turn,  being  changed  from  one  to  the  other  to 
give  new  life  when  the  spirits  of  either  began  to  flag. 
With  the  heads  of  the  two  draft  horses  turned  out- 
wards to  watch  the  flourish  of  the  driver's  whip,  we 
presented  the  appearance  of  a  Roman  chariot  race  as 
we  galloped  along  from  station  to  station. 

•  The  tarantass  cost  us  eighty  roubles,  about  forty 
dollars.  We  should  have  paid  only  about  thirty  dol- 
lars for  it;  but  our  haste  and  lack  of  familiarity  with 
the  language  put  us  at  a  disadvantage.  We  expected 
to  sell  it  at  Tashkent  at  an  equal  disadvantage.  But 
it  was  the  best  we  could  do;  and,  even  if  it  were  an 
entire  loss,  this  would  not  be  relatively  great,  provided 
it  got  us  safely  through.  Of  one  thing  we  felt  con- 
fident, namely,  that  the  wheels  were  strong  and  sound. 
But  before  we  were  two  miles  on  our  way,  one  of  the 
hind  wheels  came  off  as  we  were  going  at  a  rapid  rate. 
It  took  us  some  time  to  find  what  was  the  matter. 
But  at  length  it  appeared  that  the  "  box  "  was  loose, 
and  the  hub  had  come  off  with  it,  and  let  the  axletree 
down  with  a  heavy  thud.  The  fact  that  the  axletree 


Across  Asia  281 

was  neither  broken  nor  sprung  was  reassuring.  Our 
driver  ingeniously  fixed  matters  up  so  that  we  reached 
the  next  station  safely.  There  ready  hands  aided  us 
to  wedge  the  box  in  so  firmly  that  it  gave  us  no  further 
trouble.  It  was,  however,  the  cause  of  much  anxiety  ; 
for  it  had  dispelled  the  illusion  that  there  could  be  no 
new  breaks  in  our  old  tarantass,  and  we  were  kept 
constantly  on  the  lookout  thereafter  to  discover  any 
new  weak  points.  Every  day  revealed  some,  but  they 
were  not  serious.  We  had  to  see  to  it  that  the  wheels 
were  well  oiled,  and  take  upon  ourselves  various  other 
responsibilities  that  would  have  been  borne  by  the  sta- 
tion masters  if  we  had  depended  on  the  public  vehicles. 
This  was  the  only  drawback  to  being  the  owner  of  the 
carnage. 

The  drivers  were  mostly  Kirghiz  Tartars,  who 
took  delight  in  displaying  their  skill  in  exacting  a  high 
rate  of  speed  from  their  teams,  especially  when  meet- 
ing other  teams  or  passing  through  villages.  When- 
ever the  roads  permitted  it,  they  drove  at  a  full  gal- 
lop; and  where  the  roads  did  not  properly  permit  it, 
they  still  drove  on  at  the  same  rate.  This  was  what 
brought  out  the  weak  points  in  our  tarantass,  as  well 
as  in  our  own  bodily  framework.  Ordinarily  we  drove 
only  by  daylight;  but  we  averaged  eighty-three  miles 
per  day,  making  the  whole  1,406  miles  in  seventeen 
days  of  actual  driving.  It  had  taken  us  the  same  length 


282  Story  of  My  Life 

of  time  to  come  the  same  distance  by  steamboats  up 
the  Amur  River  from  Khabarovsk  to  Stryetensk.  One 
day  when  we  drove  most  of  the  night  we  made  one 
hundred  and  thirty-five  miles. 

The  first  two  hundred  miles,  being  up  the  east  bank 
of  the  Irtysh  River,  was  for  the  most  part  uneventful. 
The  roads  were  smooth ;  there  were  no  mountains  in 
sight;  the  Kirghiz  Tartars  tending  their,  flocks,  or 
gathering  their  supply  of  hay  for  the  winter  from  the 
river  bottoms,  were  just  what  we  had  seen  from  the 
deck  of  the  steamer.  After  taking  the  tarantass  the 
monotony  was  relieved,  at  one  of  the  first  stations,  by 
meeting  an  officer  with  his  wife  and  little  girl  and  their 
household  cat.  Greatly  to  our  surprise  and  delight 
the  man  was  an  American,  and  could  talk  English. 
He  had  been  the  leader  of  a  band  in  a  Russian  regi- 
ment for  twenty-five  years,  and  had  then  just  come 
on  a  furlough  from  Naryn,  a  fort  on  the  Chinese  bor- 
der eight  hundred  miles  away.  But  the  meeting  was 
for  only  a  half  hour,  and  we  passed  on  in  opposite  di- 
rections. 

We  rested  a  day  at  Semipalatinsk.  Here  we  found 
a  city  of  35,000  inhabitants,  about  one-half  Moham- 
medans, engaged  largely  in  trade.  It  came  into  the 
possession  of  the  Russians  in  1718.  The  city  occupies 
a  most  important  position  on  a  great  river,  which  comes 


Across  Asia  283 

down  from  Mongolia  through  the  Sungarian  depres- 
sion, forming  one  of  the  main  gateways  to  Central 
Asia.  During  high  water  small  steamers  ascend  two 
or  three  hundred  miles  further  and  rafts  come  down 
from  several  hundred  miles  above  and  bring  the  prod- 
uce of  the  country  for  exchange;  while  caravans  are 
continually  coming  and  going  between 'this  place  and 
Kobdo,  a  Chinese  city  of  much  importance  on  the 
Mongolian  plateau.  Much  trade  is  also  maintained 
with  the  extensive  mining  region  in  the  Altai  Moun- 
tains, which  lie  about  one  hundred  miles  to  the  south- 
east. 

Soon  after  our  arrival  at  Semipalatinsk,  our  pass- 
ports were  called  for.  By  this  time  they  were  a  sight 
to  behold.  In  addition  to  having  been  already  fre- 
quently viseed  by  the  Russians,  they  had  passed,  as  be- 
fore remarked,  through  the  hands  of  the  Chinese  at 
Peking,  and  there  had  been  almost  completely  covered 
with  unintelligible  Chinese  characters,  including  two 
immense  seal  impressions  each  as  large  as  a  man's  hand. 
As  it  was  now  a  time  of  war  with  China,  this  created 
suspicion,  and  we  were  personally  summoned  to  the  po- 
lice station.  Fortunately  we  had  with  us  also  a  letter 
from  the  Russian  Ambassador  at  Peking  commending 
us  and  our  work  to  the  authorities  in  Manchuria  and 
Siberia.  This  paved  the  way  for  a  gracious  reception, 
and  we  were  speedily  sent  on  our  way  with  a  new  en- 


284  Story   of  My  Life 

dorsement  on  our  passports.  Instead  of  being  disturbed 
by  this  surveillance,  we  were  really  comforted ;  for  it 
was  evident  that  all  suspicious  characters  were 
watched,  and  that  the  strong  arm  of  a  Christian  civili- 
zation was  about  us  to  give  protection  on  our  further 
journey. 

The  first  two  hundred  miles  out  from  Semipalatinsk 
carried  us  over  the  watershed  between  the  Irtysh  River 
and  the  basin  of  Lake  Balkash,  one  of  the  larger  of 
the  numerous  bodies  of  water  in  Turkestan  which 
have  no  outlets.  The  watershed  is  not  more  than 
1,500  feet  above  the  sea,  and  consists,  for  the  most 
part,  of  a  comparatively  level  surface  of  very  old  and 
deeply  disintegrated  granitic  rocks,  with  little  depth 
of  soil.  What  with  this  and  the  absence  of  rain,  the 
country  is  barren,  and  incapable  of  settlement.  Usu- 
ally there  were  no  settlements  between  the  stations, 
and  it  had  evidently  been  difficult  to  find  water  suf- 
ficient to  supply  their  needs.  Even  the  Kirghiz 
Tartars,  with  their  movable  flocks  and  felt  tents,  were 
infrequent  occupants  of  the  region. 

A  typical  Tartar  family  is  the  following,  which  we 
met  one  day:  The  Tartar  woman,  with  partially 
veiled  face,  was  riding  a  cow  followed  by  its  calf, 
carrying  in  her  arms  a  child,  and  leading  three  camels 
tied  together  tandem,  upon  which  were  loaded  the 
tents  and  all  the  household  utensils  of  the  familv. 


Across  Asia  285 

The  man  was  a  little  to  one  side,  driving  with  dif- 
ficulty a  number  of  horses,  while  two  boys  were  rid- 
ing a  steer  and  driving  a  small  flock  of  sheep.  Camels 
were  so  numerous  that  we  ceased  to  count  them.  Dur- 
ing one  day  when  we  took  pains  to  count  we  found 
that  we  had  met,  or  passed,  2,500,  some  of  which 
were  carrying  iron  five  hundred  miles  beyond  Semi- 
palatinsk. 

At  the  first  station  west  of  Semipalatinsk  we  met 
with  one  of  the  few  delays  caused  by  the  merciful  re- 
gard of  the  government  for  their  horses.  We  had  to  wait 
three  hours  in  the  middle  of  the  day  for  them  to  rest. 
But  here  we  found  ourselves  in  company  with  two 
ladies  who  had  come  with  us  on  the  steamboat  from 
Omsk,  and  were  going  by  tarantass  to  Verni,  about 
five  hundred  miles  farther  on.  They  were,  it  seemed, 
mother  and  daughter  (the  former  about  fifty,  and  the 
latter  about  twenty-five,  years  of  age)  who  had  been 
to  Moscow  on  a  visit,  and  took  this  trip  with  as  little 
concern  as  they  would  have  done  in  the  United  States 
the  journey  by  rail  from  New  York  to  Omaha. 

•We  kept  together  to  the  next  station,  when,  in  due 
time,  both  our  teams  were  harnessed  and  hitched  to 
the  tarantasses  nearly  ready  to  proceed.  Suddenly  our 
traveling  companions  started  their  horses  at  a  furious 
rate,  and  we  followed  suit.  The  occasion  of  this 
hasty  departure  was  soon  evident.  The  ladies  were 


286  Story  of  My  Life 

wiser  than  we.  A  tarantass  was  approaching  in  the 
distance.  If  that  should  happen  to  contain  an  officer 
with  a  special  commission,  and  he  should  arrive  before 
we  had  started,  he  could  take  our  horses  from  us,  and 
compel  us  to  wait  another  three  hours.  By  starting 
before  the  arrival,  this  danger  would  be  avoided. 
Hence  our  precipitate  haste.  Once  past,  we  paused, 
and  completed  the  adjustment  of  our  harnesses,  and 
then  went  on  at  our  leisure. 

We  arrived  at  the  next  station  about  ten  o'clock  at 
night,  and  made  arrangements,  as  we  supposed,  to 
start  at  half-past  three  in  the  morning.  But  the  sta- 
tion master  understood  us  to  say  three  hours,  instead  of 
three  o'clock,  and  wakened  us  at  half-past  one,  with 
the  announcement  that  our  team  was  ready.  As  our 
lady  friends  were  still  asleep  in  their  tarantass,  wait- 
ing a  more  seasonable  hour,  we  were  separated  from 
them,  and  saw  them  no  more.  A  day  or  two  later  we 
fell  in  company  with  an  elegantly  dressed  and  delicate 
lady,  apparently  more  than  seventy  years  of  age, 
traveling  with  her  son.  We  were  with  them  two  days 
going  over  a  very  hilly  road.  She  rarely  alighted  from 
her  tarantass,  except  for  meals,  but  showed  no  signs  of 
weariness  or  discomfort. 

At  Sergiapol,  on  the  Ayaguz  River,  one  hundred 
and  sixty  miles  from  Semipalatinsk,  we  came  into  the 
inclosed  basin  of  Lake  Balkash,  and  continued  in  it 


Across  Asia  287 

for  the  next  four  hundred  miles.  For  the  first  two 
hundred  of  this  distance,  while  passing  the  eastern  end 
of  the  lake,  the  road  often  led  across  the  bottom  of 
minor  inclosed  basins  which  had  formerly  been  filled 
with  water,  but  were  now  completely  dried  up.  Lake 
Balkash  is  now  but  an  insignificant  remnant  of  what 
it  used  to  be.  It  formerly  extended  over  an  area  of 
100,000  square  miles  or  more;  whereas  now  it  scarcely 
covers  10,000.  Originally  the  bottoms  of  these  desic- 
cated areas  were  smooth  enough  to  furnish  the  best 
of  roads,  but  after  long  use  they  have  been  so  irregu- 
larly cut  up  by  the  carriage  wheels  that  they  are  now 
the  worst  of  all.  The  jolting  over  them  was  some- 
thing fearful.  It  was  here  that  we  met  a  tarantass 
drawn  by  seven  horses  all  abreast.  The  jolting  with 
three  horses  (the  number  we  uniformly  had)  was  all 
that  we  or  our  tarantass  could  endure.  What  the 
occupants  of  the  seven-horse  carriage  did  was  more 
than  we  could  imagine. 

After  passing  the  eastern  end  of  Lake  Balkash,  we 
began  to  cross  the  series  of  spurs  extending  in  a  west- 
erly direction  from  the  Ala-tau  Mountains,  which  were 
encountered  more,  or  less  frequently  all  the  rest  of  our 
journey.  The  first  one  was  what  appeared  to  be  a  low 
range  of  slate  hills  in  front  of  us  about  eight  hundred 
feet  high.  As  we  approached  it  over  the  parched  soil 


288  Story   of  My  Life 

of  the  plain,  we  saw  ahead  of  us  a  little  spot  of  green, 
which  proved  to  be  where  a  small  mountain  stream 
was  wasting  itself  in  the  desert  sand.  Above,  a  long 
line  of  green  marked  its  course  from  the  hills,  and  it 
continually  increased  in  volume  as  we  ascended.  Fol- 
lowing it  into  the  gorge  which  it  had  cut  for  itself 
through  the  escarpment,  we  soon  found  ourselves  in 
a  most  picturesque  enlargement,  with  precipitous  walls 
of  rock,  three  hundred  or  four  hundred  feet  high,  ris- 
ing on  all  sides,  and  surrounding  a  plot  of  rich  sedi- 
mentary soil  sufficient  for  a  village  site.  Here  was  our 
station,  surrounded  by  numerous  Tartar  tents  and 
adobe  houses.  The  gurgling  water  of  the  brook,  and 
the  trees  and  grass  which  grew  within  its  life-giving  in- 
fluence, were  in  striking  contrast  to  the  desolation  of 
the  region  through  which  we  had  been  driving.  We 
were  not  sorry  that  it  was  necessary  to  delay  here  long 
enough  during  the  middle  of  the  day  to  have  the  tire 
set  on  one  of  our  wheels.  It  was  like  the  lodge  in  a 
vast  wilderness  for  which  the  Psalmist  sighed,  that  he 
might  be  at  rest. 

On  following  up  the  stream,  we  found  its  explana- 
tion. The  hills  which  we  saw  on  approaching  this 
picturesque  oasis  were  covered  with  mellow  soil,  which 
absorbed  sufficient  water  from  the  winter  snows  to 
give  out  a  perpetual  supply  to  the  lower  portions  dur- 
ing the  entire  summer.  The  plateau  was  much  higher 


Across  Asia  289 

than  it  looked  to  be;  and,  as  height  after  height  was 
reached,  broader  and  broader  valleys  opened  out,  with 
rich  herbage  for  the  sheep  and  cattle  and  camels  of 
numerous  Tartar  settlements. 

We  stayed  that  night  at  a  station  called  Romanov- 
skia,  on  the  Lepsa  River,  which  in  its  upper  portion 
irrigates  an  extensive  area  at  the  base  of  the  Ala-tau 
Mountains,  but  here  it  has  sunk  its  channel  so  deeply 
in  the  plain  that  the  water  is  not  available  except  to 
a  very  limited  extent  along  its  surrounding  flood  plain. 
As  we  started  out  in  the  morning,  a  new  range  of 
mountains  came  in  sight  across  the  whole  southern 
horizon ;  but,  owing,  as  we  thought,  to  the  haziness  of 
the  atmosphere,  they  seemed  very  dim.  Soon,  how- 
ever, we  discovered  that  what  we  took,  at  first,  for 
fleecy  patches  of  cloud  were  glaciers  and  snowy  masses 
on  mountains  which  towered  far  above  the  interven- 
ing foothills.  With  them  ever  in  view,  we  drove  on 
forty-five  miles,  past  two  stations  hidden  in  the 
troughs  of  small  streams,  where  alone  verdure  was 
found,  and  changed  horses  a  little  before  sunset  at 
the  base  of  the  first  low  range.  This  rose  very  abruptly 
from  the  plain,  and  here  completely  shut  out  from 
view  the  lofty  peaks  beyond.  But  after  winding  our 
way  up  the  steep  gradient  of  a  waterworn  gorge  to 
a  height  of  1,300  feet  above  the  station,  and  3,800 
feet  above  the  sea,  the  summit  of  a  broad  plateau  was 


2QO  Story  of  My  Life 

reached,  and  the  higher  peaks  burst  again  on  our  view 
in  all  the  splendor  of  the  reflected  rays  of  the  setting 
sun.  But  we  were  still  scarcely  half  way  to  them. 
Between  us  and  them  was  another  intermediate  range 
still  higher  than  the  one  we  were  on,  but  quite  below 
the  snow  line.  The  farther  range  we  had  before  us 
was  higher  than  the  Alps,  having  peaks  running  up 
to  17,000  feet. 

For  two  days  longer  we  skirted  the  edge  of  this 
mountain  range,  passing  around,  through  the  small 
but  bustling  city  of  Kopal,  to  the  west  and  southwest 
sides  with  its  snow-covered  peaks  ever  in  view.  The 
glacier-fed  streams  brought  with  them  fertility  to  the 
narrow  belt  of  loam  over  which  their  waters  were 
spread.  The  tents  of  the  Kirghiz  Tartars  dotted  the 
landscape  everywhere,  and  prosperous  villages  of  Rus- 
sian peasants,  with  their  thrifty  rows  of  poplar  trees, 
their  enormous  stacks  of  grain,  and  their  imposing 
churches,  made  us  forget  the  wide  desert  everywhere 
surrounding  us. 

On  the  third  day  we  lost  sight  of  these  mountains; 
but  about  noon,  after  a  tedious  ride  over  a  long  line  of 
sand  dunes,  we  reached  the  banks  of  the  Hi  River,  and 
saw  before  us  another  section  of  the  Ala-tau  range,  as 
lofty  and  grand  as  those  we  had  left  behind.  This 
river  comes  down  through  a  valley  many  miles  wide 
and  by  a  very  gradual  descent  from  the  populous  dis- 


Across  Asia  291 

trict  of  Kuldja,  on  the  Mongolian  plateau,  and  fur- 
nishes another  of  the  important  gateways  to  Central 
Asia.  It  is  a  large  stream,  several  hundred  miles  long, 
with  its  headwaters  in  the  Tian-Shan  Mountains,  and 
is  the  largest  tributary  to  Lake  Balkash.  But  it  has 
worn  so  deep  a  trough  in  the  lower  part  of  its  plain 
that  its  waters  are  unavailable  there  for  irrigation. 
Its  lower  course  is  simply  a  hidden  streak  of  green 
through  vast  desert  wastes. 

In  the  irrigated  amphitheater  at  the  base  of  the 
mountains  that  were  now  before  us,  Verni,  a  city  of 
30,000  inhabitants,  lies  hidden  in  a  forest  of  trees 
which  have  been  planted  beside  the  irrigating  channels 
which  here  are  made  to  utilize  the  mountain  streams 
to  the  utmost.  It  rained  during  the  night  and  fore- 
noon. But  when  the  clouds  cleared  away,  the  semi- 
circle of  peaks  rising  12,000  feet  above  the  city  were 
perfectly  dazzling  in  their  covering  of  new-fallen 
snow.  Here,  too,  five  hundred  miles  from  navigable 
rivers  and  nine  hundred  from  a  railroad,  was  a  busy 
center  of  strange  life.  Caravans  of  camels  and  trains 
of  oxcarts  were  coming  and  going  with  their  precious 
loads  of  merchandise;  people  of  strange  looks  and 
stranger  manners  crowded  the  streets  and  thronged 
the  markets;  while,  over  all,  was  spread  the  pervading 
influence  of  Russian  civilization.  Christian  churches 


2Q2  Story  of  My  Life 

and  conspicuous  Russian  public-school  buildings,  be- 
sides those  equally  conspicuous  for  the  use  of  the  army 
and  the  civil  service,  are  mingled  with  the  minarets 
of  Mohammedan  mosques  and  with  the  bazaars, 
where  the  native  population  effect  the  exchange  of  all 
kinds  of  produce  and  manufacture.  The  trimly  uni- 
formed Cossack,  the  well-dressed  Russian  lady,  the 
plain-faced,  barefooted  Russian  peasant  woman,  the 
turbaned  Kirghiz  Tartar  on  horseback  with  his  par- 
tially veiled  black-eyed  spouse  surmounting  the  entire 
equipage  of  their  tent  packed  on  the  back  of  a  camel, 
crowd  through  the  streets,  jostling  each  other  in  a  way 
that  is  beyond  description. 

From  Verni  to  Aulieata  is  284  miles.  The  entire 
distance  is  along  the  base  of  lofty  mountain  ranges, 
with  numerous  peaks  15,000  feet  high,  and  I2,OOO 
feet  above  the  irrigated  belt  along  which  the  road  led. 
Before  we  had  lost  sight  of  the  snow-clad  peaks  of 
the  Ala-tau  back  of  Verni,  those  of  the  Alexander 
Range,  equally  high,  came  into  view.  Meanwhile  we 
had  left  the  valley  of  the  Hi  River  and  the  basin  of 
Lake  Balkash,  and  come  into  that  of  the  river  Chu, 
reaching  Pishpek  late  in  the  evening  of  the  second  day. 
This  river  has  its  source  in  the  Issyk-kul,  a  large  lake 
1 50  miles  long  and  50  broad,  which  lies  in  a  depression 
of  the  Ala-tau  Mountains  south  of  Verni,  5,000  feet 
above  the  sea.  The  river  runs  a  course  of  several 


Across  Asia  293 

hundred  miles  into  the  desert  region  to  the  northwest, 
between  the  basins  of  Lake  Balkash  and  the  Aral  Sea, 
and  there  wastes  itself  in  uninhabitable  marshy  lagoons 
which  have  no  outlet.  But  the  upper  portion  of  its 
valley  near  the  base  of  the  mountains  is  a  picture  of 
fertility.  In  addition  to  the  frequent  clusters  of  mud 
houses  and  felt  tents  and  the  countless  flocks  of  the 
Kirghiz  Tartars,  there  are  numerous  villages  of  Rus- 
sian peasants,  with  their  long  rows  of  poplar  trees, 
their  swarms  of  flaxen-haired  children,  and,  at  this 
season  of  the  year,  the  immense  stacks  of  hay  and  grain 
which  bear  unmistakable  evidence  of  their  prosperity 
and  contentment. 

Aulieata  on  the  Talas  River  is  still  in  the  inclosed 
basin  between  those  of  Lake  Balkash  and  the  Aral  Sea. 
But  its  irrigating  stream  comes  down  from  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  Alexander  Range,  and  wastes  itself 
in  the  Kara  Kul  marshes  before  reaching  the  Chu. 
The  irrigated  section,  however,  supports  a  population 
which  has  created  here  a  bustling  city  of  12,000  in- 
habitants. The  mobilization  of  a  regiment  of  Cossack 
troops  the  day  we  passed  through  the  place  gave  ad- 
ditional liveliness  and  variety  to  the  scene. 

From  Aulieata  to  Tashkent  is  160  miles.  In  the 
afternoon  we  ascended  the  gentle  slope  of  the  low 
mountain  range  which  separates  the  basin  of  the  Chu 
from  that  of  the  Syr  Daria  (the  ancient  Jaxartes), 


294  Story  of  My  Life 

which  flows  into  the  Aral  Sea.  The  ascent  of  1,200 
feet  was  equivalent,  in  its  effect  on  the  temperature, 
to  going  several  degrees  farther  north,  so  that  we 
found  the  night  air  of  the  last  days  of  September  too 
chilly  for  comfort,  and  were  glad  enough  to  take  early 
shelter  in  a  comfortable  station  house,  and  wait  for 
the  morning  sun  to  pour  its  genial  rays  upon  us. 

The  second  morning  from  Aulieata  brought  us  to 
Chimkent,  a  city  of  10,000  inhabitants,  on  a  tributary 
of  the  Syr  Daria.  Here  our  postroad  was  joined  by 
the  great  road  coming  from  Orenburg,  1,000  miles  to 
the  north,  and  passing  to  the  east  of  the  Aral  Sea  and 
following  up  the  Syr  Daria  through  a  number  of 
small  cities.  Since  we  were  there,  however,  a  rdlroad 
has  been  built  all  the  way  from  Orenburg.  About 
one  hundred  miles  to  the  north  is  the  interesting  city 
of  Turkestan,  with  12,000  inhabitants.  Here  it  is 
well  to  remember  that  each  city  of  that  size  means  a 
large  irrigated  tract  with  a  much  larger  range  of  arid 
pasture  land  surrounding  it. 

Tashkent  was  less  than  seventy  miles  distant,  and 
with  no  delay  we  could  easily  have  driven  the  dis- 
tance before  night.  But  as  we  approached  the  great 
centers,  the  horses  were  more  and  more  in  use,  so  that 
delays  became  frequent,  and  we  were  compelled  to 
spend  another  night  in  a  station  house,  or  rather  in 


Across  Asia  295 

two  station  houses;  for,  after  three  hours'  rest  in  one, 
we  availed  ourselves  of  a  fresh  team  in  the  middle  of 
the  night,  to  find  that  at  the  next  station  we  must  wait 
three  more  hours.  But  soon  after  sunrise  we  entered 
the  outskirts  of  the  great  city,  driving  for  miles  be- 
tween long  rows  of  mud  walls  and  lofty  silver  poplar 
trees  and  across  countless  irrigating  ditches,  and  v\  ith 
greater  and  greater  difficulty  dodging  the  increasing 
throngs  of  loaded  camels  and  horses  and  donkeys  and 
cattle  which  filled  the  streets.  In  due  time,  however, 
we  were  brought  to  the  broad  streets  and  beautiful 
avenues  of  the  Russian  part  of  the  city,  and  to  the 
Gostenitza  Europanski  (European  Hotel),  where  we 
engaged  the  best  room  for  fifty  cents  a  day,  and  where, 
before  noon,  we  had  sold  our  tarantass  for  twenty-five 
roubles  ($12.50),  and  were  ready  to  attend  to  the 
sights  of  the  city. 

Tashkent  is  the  capital  of  Turkestan,  and  had  in 
1900  a  population  of  156,414,  about  25,000  of  whom 
were  Russians.  Now  its  population  numbers  271,000. 
The  Russians  took  the  city  in  1866,  and  put  an  end 
to  the  turbulent  condition  of  things  which  had  previ- 
ously existed.  Their  own  part  of  the  city  is  luxuri- 
ously shaded  and  provided  with  parks,  and  adorned 
with  fine  public  buildings.  Its  public  library  has  the 
largest  collection  in  the  world  of  books  on  Asia.  But 
the  native  city  is  simply  a  mass  of  mud  walls,  inclos- 


296  Story  of  My  Life 

ing  narrow  winding  alleys,  and  full  of  filthy  people 
and  bad  odors.  Their  bazaar  is  famous  for  both  these 
qualities,  but  is  so  interesting  that  one  finds  it  difficult 
to  keep  away.  It  is  simply  a  block  of  the  narrow 
streets  covered  with  an  awning  of  matting  to  keep 
out  the  sun,  making  its  general  appearance  much  like 
some  of  the  lower  parts  of  New  York  City  where 
shaded  by  the  elevated  railway.  Here  everything  the 
country  affords  can  be  had,  from  a  camel  to  a  cambric 
needle. 

Tashkent  was  the  end  of  our  tarantass  journey 
and  the  beginning  of  a  railroad  journey  of  another 
fourteen  hundred  miles  to  the  Caspian  Sea.  Severe 
as  were  some  of  the  experiences,  we  were  sorry  to 
part  company  with  our  tarantass  and  its  ambitious 
horses  and  jolly  drivers.  On  reckoning  up,  we  found 
that  we  had  been  faithfully  served  by  276  horses  and 
92  drivers.  Indeed,  nothing  can  be  more  invigorating 
than  to  roll  along  in  a  tarantass  over  the  smooth  Si- 
berian roads  at  the  rate  of  ten  miles  an  hour  behind 
three  prancing  horses  urged  on  by  an  ambitious  Tartar 
driver.  Nor  can  anything  be  more  impressive  and  in- 
spiring than  to  be  permitted  to  divide  one's  attention 
between  the  glacier-clad  peaks  of  the  Ala-tau  Moun- 
tains on  the  one  side  and  the  countless  flocks  and  tents 
of  the  Kirghiz  Tartars  as  they  fade  away  into  the 


Across  Asia  297 

glamor  of  the  desert  mirage  on  the  other.  The  moun- 
tains and  the  desert  are  both  most  mysterious  in  their 
inaccessibility,  and  equally  suggestive  to  the  imagin- 
ation. And  they  are  both  present  on  too  grand  a  scale 
ever  to  be  deformed  by  the  ruthless  hand  of  civiliza- 
tion. At.  the  present  time  the  railroad  is  extended  east- 
wards along  the  route  we  followed,  well  on  to  Verni; 
aiming  to  cross  Mongolia  to  Vladivostok. 

The  fertility  and  importance  of  the  belt  of  land 
which  we  traversed  is  indicated  by  the  population 
which  it  at  present  supports,  which  is  not  far  from 
5,000,000.  The  most  of  these  are  Kirghiz  Tartars, 
who  are  living  in  the  same  manner  that  their  ancestors 
did  three  thousand  years  ago.  There  are,  on  an  aver- 
age, four  sheep  to  each  human  being,  and  two  horses, 
two  cows,  and  a  camel  to  every  family.  For  pastur- 
age they  roam  widely  over  the  adjoining  desert  while 
the  vegetation  is  green,  but  their  main  dependence  for 
grain  is  upon  the  irrigated  belt  at  the  foot  of  the  moun- 
tains. In  ancient  times  the  irrigation  was  much  more 
extensive  than  it  is  now.  But  with  proper  attention 
and  settled  government  the  irrigated  area  may  now 
be  increased  threefold.  Everywhere  the  Russians  have 
brought  order  and  increased  fertility.  The  conquest 
by  Russia  has  exactly  reversed  former  conditions. 
From  having  been  a  center  of  disturbance  from  which 
the  warlike  Mongols  used  to  roll  over  into  Europe, 


298  Story  of  My  Life 

carrying  desolation  wherever  they  went,  and  spread- 
ing terror  far  beyond  the  actual  limit  of  their  con- 
quest, it  has  come  to  be  one  of  the  most  valuable  prov- 
inces of  the  Russian  Empire,  and  one  where  some  of 
the  most  interesting  problems  of  modern  civilization 
are  in  process  of  settlement. 

SAMARKAND 

From  Tashkent  to  Samarkand  is  175  miles  over  the 
Central  railroad  of  Asia.  About  sixty  miles  from  the 
city  the  railroad  crosses  the  Syr  Daria  River,  and  is 
joined  by  a  branch  coming  down  from  Andidjan,  170 
miles  through  the  fertile  province  of  Ferghana,  which 
is  the  present  limit  of  the  Russian  domain  in  that  di- 
rection. This  is  one  of  the  richest  and  most  populous 
of  all  the  Russian  possessions  in  Turkestan,  and  is  the 
gateway  to  the  Pamir,  which  extends  southward  to 
Afghanistan  and  India,  over  the  highest  plateau  in 
the  world.  It  is  buttressed  on  its  four  corners  by  the 
Ala-tau,  the  Tian-Shan,  the  Hindu  Kush,  and  the 
Himalaya  Mountains,  and  is  appropriately  called  the 
"  Roof  of  the  World."  Nowhere  is  this  plateau  less 
than  10,000  feet  above  sea  level,  and  much  of  it  is 
14,000  feet. 

Ferghana  itself  is  a  well-watered  valley  of  more  than 
40,000  square  miles,  between  lofty  mountain  ranges. 
It  has  five  cities  with  more  than  35,000  inhabitants 


Across  Asia  299 

each,  Kokand,  its  capital,  having  82,000.  The  entire 
province  tributary  to  this  branch  of  the  railroad  has  a 
population  of  2,100,000,  while  the  population  of  the 
province  of  Samarkand  amounts  to  1, 200,000.  But 
these  statistics  give  only  a  faint  idea  of  the  vast  human 
interests  represented  in  this  desert-encircled  area  ren- 
dered fertile  by  streams  descending  from  these  inacces- 
sible snow-clad  mountain  peaks.  In  both  these  prov- 
inces the  interests  are  predominantly  agricultural,  and 
those  of  the  nomad  population  secondary.  Manufac- 
turing is  also  of  more  varied  forms,  and  on  a  larger 
scale.  For  ages  the  inhabitants  have  maintained  a  high 
degree  of  civilization  independent  of  the  outside  world. 
But  there  are  nomad  Kirghiz  Tartars  enough  in  the 
provinces  to  give  variety  to  the  scene.  I  believe  it  is 
that  veracious  observer,  Mark  Twain,  who  speaks  of 
having  seen  the  natives  in  Australia  plowing  with  a 
team  of  kangaroos.  I  have  not  seen  anything  so  won- 
derful as  that,  but  I  have  seen  a  team  of  camels  draw- 
ing a  plow,  and  in  one  case  a  camel  and  a  horse 
hitched  together  to  do  the  same  service.  Nor  is  it  any 
uncommon  thing  to  see  a  man  or  a  woman  riding  a 
lusty  steer  and  leading  a  long  string  of  camels.  It 
will  be  a  great  while  before  the  railroad  and  Russian 
civilization  will  banish  all  such  incongruous  sights. 

The  city  of  Samarkand  had  in  1900  a  population  of 


3OO  Story  of  My  Life 

56,000,  of  whom  16,000  were  Russians,  and  the  rest 
mostly  Sarts.  In  1912  its  population  had  increased  to 
90,000.  It  was  taken  by  the  Russians  in  1868,  and  the 
growth  of  their  colony  gives  some  idea  of  the  rapidity 
with  which  they  are  exerting  their  power  in  this  di- 
rection, and  of  the  firmness  of  their  grasp.  As  in  all 
the  other  larger  centers,  however,  so  here,  the  Russian 
element  lives  apart  from  the  native,  and  constitutes 
a  city  by  itself,  fashioned  in  every  respect  after  the  best 
models  of  European  towns.  The  well-dressed  women 
and  the  fine  equipages  one  meets  on  the  street  would 
make  him  forget  that  he  was  so  far  away  from  the 
great  centers  of  civilization,  were  it  not  for  the  con- 
stant presence  everywhere  of  the  military  uniform. 
The  present  government  is  a  military  government. 
The  Russians  do  not  yet  trust  the  native  population. 
It  is  not  taken  into  the  army.  Farther  west  the  Tur- 
komans of  the  Transcaspian  province  have,  to  some  ex- 
tent, been  drawn  upon  to  fill  depleted  regiments;  but 
the  Sarts  and  Kirghiz  Tartars  of  this  region  have  not 
as  yet  been  thus  honored.  The  general  interest  in 
army  affairs  was  exhibited  in  Samarkand  one  Sunday 
evening  in  a  fair  held  by  the  Red  Cross  Society  for 
the  benefit  of  the  suffering  soldiers  in  China.  The 
fair  was  in  the  well-shaded  park  of  the  Russian  city, 
which  was  brilliantly  illuminated.  An  admittance  of 
twenty-five  cents  was  charged,  but  the  fair  was 


Across  Asia  301 

crowded  by  natives  as  well  as  by  Russians.  I  believe 
that  the  admission  was  less  for  the  natives,  and  it  must 
be  added  that  one  of  the  attractions  was  a  lottery,  at 
which  the  daughter  of  one  of  the  high  officials  pre- 
sided. 

Samarkand  is  in  every  respect  the  most  interesting 
city  of  Turkestan.  Surrounded  en  three  sides  by 
snow-covered  mountains,  but  itself  in  a  verdure-clad 
valley  of  great  productiveness,  it  has  from  ancient 
times  been  called  the  Eye  of  the  World.  About  the 
close  of  the  fourteenth  and  the  beginning  of  the 
fifteenth  century,  Timur  the  Tartar,  more  com- 
monly known  as  Tamerlane,  established  his  capital 
here,  and  from  it  well  nigh  ruled  the  world,  extend- 
ing his  dominion  from  Russia  to  the  Persian  Gulf, 
and  from  Constantinople  to  the  Ganges.  Timur 
likewise  made  Samarkand  a  great  center  of  learning, 
and  he  and  his  successors  adorned  it  with  buildings 
whose  proportions  and  beauty  challenge,  even  in  their 
ruins,  the  admiration  of  the  world.  Four  hundred 
years  of  neglect  and  numerous  earthquakes  have  well 
nigh  destroyed  two  or  three  of  these  splendid  edifices, 
but  they  all  now  rear  their  domes  and  arches  and  cam- 
paniles high  above  the  mud  dwellings  of  the  present 
wretched  city,  and  look  down  upon  the  Babel  of  an 
Eastern  market  place  where  everything  is  sold,  from 
cotton  and  wool  and  silk,  to  perishable  fruit,  old 


J02  Story  of  My  Life 

clothes,  and  scrap  iron.  The  best  preserved  of  these 
is  known  as  the  Rigistan.  This  is  a  square  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  feet,  open  to  the  street  on  the  south 
side,  but  inclosed  on  the  other  three  sides  by  lofty, 
well-proportioned  buildings,  brilliant  in  harmonious 
colors  of  enameled  brick.  Beautiful-shaped  campaniles 
adorn  the  corners,  and  noble  archways  lead  into  in- 
terior courts  surrounded  by  cloisters  for  Mohammedan 
mollahs.  During  the  Middle  Ages  the  tenants  of  these 
cloisters  carried  the  study  of  mathematics  and  astron- 
omy to  a  high  degree  of  perfection,  and  made  their 
city  renowned  for  learning  as  well  as  for  war.  But 
now  these  tenants  are  a  miserable  set,  only  waiting  for 
another  earthquake  to  put  an  end  to  their  whole  busi- 
ness. The  campaniles  are  already  far  out  of  plumb, 
and  the  noise  of  the  market  in  the  square  drowns  the 
devotions  of  the  faithful  Mohammedans  in  the  crum- 
bling chapels  still  in  use. 

A  few  hundred  yards  to  the  northeast  of  the  Rigis- 
tan are  the  still  more  extensive  ruins  of  the  Bibi  Khan, 
the  archway  and  towers  of  whose  facade  were  pro- 
nounced by  Vambery  a  model  for  such  buildings. 
This,  too,  was  richly  colored  with  enameled  brick. 
At  one  time  it  is  said  to  have  sheltered  as  many  as  a 
thousand  students,  but  earthquakes  have  nearly  com- 
pleted its  ruin.  One  of  its  domes  and  two  of  its  lofty 
arches  still  stand,  though  ready  to  fall.  Still  farther 


Across  Asia  303 

east  are  the  graves  of  Timur's  wives  and  sisters. 
These  consist  of  a  series  of  domes,  with  interior  decor- 
ations of  marvellous  beauty,  crowning  successive  ter- 
races reached  by  forty  marble  steps.  They  are  still  in 
a  fair  state  of  preservation,  though  birds  find  a  wel- 
come home  on  all  the  cornices,  and  the  dust-laden 
winds  have  free  course  everywhere.  Still,  they  con- 
tinue to  stand  as  noble  monuments,  all  the  more  con- 
spicuous by  reason  of  the  repellent  character  of  every- 
thing else  in  the  neglected  Mohammedan  cemetery  to 
which  they  form  an  entrance. 

A  quarter  of  a  mile  to  the  southwest  of  the  Rigis- 
tan  is  the  grave  of  Timur  himself.  Here,  too,  recent 
earthquakes  have  wrought  the  ruin  of  a  portion  of  the 
noble  pile,  but  have  left  uninjured  the  chapel  and  lofty 
dome  above  the  grave  itself.  This  is  covered  with  a 
large  piece  of  rare  jade,  and  the  chapel  and  whole  in- 
terior of  the  dome  are  adorned  with  elegant  arabesques 
and  inscriptions  of  gold.  Everything  about  it,  both 
outside  and  in,  is  most  impressive  and  appropriate. 
Indeed,  in  its  time,  the  splendor  of  this  city  was  un- 
excelled anywhere  in  the  world.  And  it  was  not  bar- 
baric splendor,  but  that  of  the  highest  art  of  the  Sar- 
acens. Those  who  would  view  it,  however,  even  in 
ruins,  must  make  haste,  for  time  has  already  nearly 
completed  its  destructive  work. 


304  Story  of  My  Life 

After  crossing  the  Amu  Daria  River,  in  going  from 
Samarkand  to  the  Caspian  Sea,  the  railroad  wends  its 
way  for  a  long  distance  through  the  dreary  wastes  of 
the  desert  of  Kara  Kum ;  but,  on  approaching  the  delta 
of  the  Murgab  River,  enters  another  scene  of  fertility 
dependent  on  irrigation  from  streams  that  come  down 
from  Afghanistan  and  Persia.  A  large  area  of 
mounds,  representing  what  is  left  of  the  ancient  city 
of  Merv,  is  passed  through  before  reaching  the  mod- 
ern city.  Here,  as  often  all  along  on  the  journey  from 
Semipalatinsk,  we  are  reminded,  by  the  deserted  ruins, 
of  the  former  fertility  of  this  irrigated  belt,  along 
which  Tamerlane  came  with  his  conquering  hosts  to 
establish  his  empire  in  Central  Asia.  It  was  with  a 
deep  thrill  of  interest  that  on  reaching  Samarkand  we 
were  reminded  that  it  occupied  the  site  of  ancient  Mar- 
acanda,  which  Alexander  the  Great  made  his  head- 
quarters for  two  years,  taking  meanwhile  for  a  wife 
the  queen  of  the  country.  The  railroad  trains  bring- 
ing into  the  interior  vast  quantities  of  petroleum  re- 
mind us  of  how  Alexander  barely  escaped  the  role  of 
being  the  Rockefeller  of  his  times;  for  it  is  related 
that  on  one  of  his  expeditions,  when  he  had  penetrated 
the  bordering  desert  region  for  a  short  distance,  to 
supply  his  army  with  water  he  ordered  a  well  to  be 
dug,  which,  instead  of  furnishing  a  salubrious  bever- 
age, yielded  a  bad-smelling  compound  of  water  and 


Across  Asia  305 

petroleum,  which  the  soothsayers  declared  was  a  bad 
omen;  whereupon  he  deserted  the  region  and  took  a 
short  cut  into  India. 

But  Merv  was  for  a  century  or  two  the  seat  of  a 
Greco-Bactrian  kingdom,  and  was  reputed  to  have  had 
at  one  time  a  population  of  one  million.  It  is  interest- 
ing to  note,  also,  that  we  are  here  near  the  original 
center  of  Aryan  civilization,  dating  back  as  far  as  that 
of  Egypt  and  Babylonia.  Balkh,  where  Zoroaster, 
the  founder  of  the  Parsee  religion,  is  reputed  to  have 
been  buried,  is  situated  one  or  two  hundred  miles 
farther  east  on  this  same  irrigated  belt.  Its  ruins  oc- 
cupy a  space  twenty  miles  in  circuit.  One  hundred 
miles  farther  west  we  reach  Askabad,  the  military 
center  of  the  region,  just  at  the  base  of  the  Kopet 
Dagh  Mountains.  It  was  near  this  city  that,  in  1903 
and  1904,  Professor  Raphael  Pumpelly  excavated 
some  prehistoric  mounds,  under  commission  from  the 
Carnegie  Institute  at  Washington.  Here  he  found 
evidence,  as  he  believed,  of  the  presence  of  man  eight 
thousand  years  before  Christ,  and  much  evidence  con- 
firming the  generally  accepted  opinion  that  the  most  of 
the  domesticated  animals  and  cultivated  grains  now 
found  in  Europe  were  developed  in  this  region. 

At  Balla  Ishem,  about  two  hundred  miles  farther 
west,  we  stopped  off  a  day  to  study  a  section  of  the 
old  outlet  of  the  stream  which  once  flowed  from  the 


306  Story  of  My  Life 

Aral  Sea  to  the  Caspian.  This  we  found  to  be  about 
as  wide  as  the  trough  of  the  Niagara  below  Buffalo, 
with  perpendicular  banks,  twenty-five  or  thirty  feet  in 
height,  still  so  intact  as  to  show  that  it  was  not  many 
thousand  years  ago  that  the  channel  was  abandoned. 
The  story  which  this  channel  tells  is  very  interesting 
and  important  in  its  bearing  on  the  date  of  the  Glacial 
epoch.  During  and  shortly  after  the  climax  of  the 
Glacial  epoch  the  supply  of  water  from  the  melting 
glaciers  on  the  vast  mountain  system  of  Central  Asia, 
filled  to  overflowing  the  Oxus,  the  Jaxartes,  the  Chu, 
the  Hi,  and  other  smaller  streams,  and  the  interior  seas 
into  which  they  empty,  causing  the  surplus  water  to 
empty  into  the  Caspian  Sea.  The  channel  of  this  de- 
serted stream  is  called  the  Uzboi.  So  distinct  is  it  all 
the  way  from  the  Aral  to  the  Caspian  Sea,  that  Rus- 
sian engineers  proposed  to  build  a  canal  along  its 
course  so  that  ships  could  pass  from  one  to  the  other, 
and  surveyed  it  for  this  purpose.  The  only  obstacle 
to  the  completion  of  the  plan  is  that  there  is  not  suf- 
ficient water  coming  into  the  Aral  Sea  at  the  present 
time  to  furnish  an  adequate  supply  ,for  the  canal.  Un- 
der the  fierce  summer  heat  of  that  desert  region,  the 
water  is  lifted  by  evaporation  into  the  heavens,  as  fast 
as  the  rivers  bring  it  down.  Elsewhere  *  I  have  told 
the  story  of  the  probable  effect  of  the  diminishing  of 
the  glaciers  in  the  mountains  bordering  Turkestan,  in 


Across  Asia  307 

contracting  the  oases  occupied  by  man  in  the  Glacial 
epoch  and  forcing  his  emigration  into  Europe,  into 
vast  areas  from  which  glacial  ice  had  at  the  same  time 
been  retreating. 

After  crossing  the  Caspian  Sea  from  Krasnovodsk  to 
Baku,  the  great  oil  center  of  Russia,  and  spending  a 
few  days  in  studying  the  elevated  shore  lines  of  the 
region,  to  which  reference  will  be  made  later,  we 
passed  up  the  valley  of  the  Kur  to  Tiflis  and  thence 
on  to  Batum  on  the  Black  Sea  and  to  Trebizond, 
where  Rev.  M.  P.  Parmelee,  the  American  mission- 
ary, had  reported  to  me  the  existence  of  an  elevated 
shore  line,  which  he  thought  important  enough  to  be 
further  investigated.  And  here  I  found  it  as  he  had 
reported.  At  an  elevation  650  feet  above  the  Black 
Sea,  on  the  face  of  the  basaltic  cliff  which  rises  250 
feet  higher,  there  is  a  gravel  terrace  furnishing  in 
some  places  excellent  building  sites.  The  material  in 
the  terrace  is  such  as  would  have  been  washed  in  by 
the  waves  when  they  were  at  that  level,  showing  un- 
questionably that  it  is  an  old  shore  line  of  the  sea 
when  the  land  was  depressed  to  that  amount,  which 
by  subsequent  elevation  had  been  brought  to  its  pres- 
ent position.  The  unstable  position  occupied  by  this 
beach  deposit,  and  the  small  amount  which  it  has  suf- 


308  Story  of  My  Life 

fered  from  erosion,  indicates  that  it  is  of  a  compar- 
atively recent  geological  age. 

On  publishing  an  account  of  this,  information  was 
soon  furnished  me  of  similar  terraces  near  Samsun,  on 
the  south  shore  of  the  Black  Sea,  near  its  western  end, 
and  in  the  Crimea  on  the  northern  shore.  Professor 
William  M.  Davis,  of  Harvard  University,  and  Ells- 
worth Huntington,  now  of  Yale  University,  subse- 
quently visited  Trebizond,  at  my  suggestion,  and  by 
their  observations  fully  confirmed  the  existence  of  this 
recently  abandoned,  high  shore  line.  Furthermore,  at 
Baku  on  the  Caspian  Sea,  they  found  evidence  of  sim- 
ilar shore  lines  at  nearly  the  same  elevation.  These, 
too,  my  son  and  I  had  observed,  but  we  were  not  suf- 
ficiently assured  of  the  facts  to  publish  them.  The  ter- 
race at  Trebizond  has  since  been  the  subject  of  much 
interest  to  the  missionaries  there,  and  Miss  Millie 
Cole  tells  me  that  they  have  found  extensions  of  the 
deposits  at  several  other  places  along  the  shore.  The 
significance  of  all  this  is  of  the  greatest  interest  and 
importance.  As  I  looked  from  this  beach  to  the  north 
and  reflected  that  between  me  and  the  Arctic  Ocean 
there  was  no  land  more  than  five  hundred  feet  above 
the  sea  level,  and  that  all  northwestern  Siberia  and 
much  of  Central  Asia  was  below  that  level,  I  was 
overwhelmed  with  the  picture  the  imagination  drew 
of  the  effects  which  were  produced  by  the  subsidence 


Across  Asia  309 

of  land  indicated  by  these  abandoned  shore  lines;  and 
the  story  of  the  Noachian  flood  became  easily  credible. 

From  Trebizond  we  went  back  again  to  Tiflis,  and 
thence  over  the  Caucasus  Mountains  by  the  Dariel 
pass — the  only  practicable  road  between  Asia  and  Eu- 
rope for  the  eight  hundred  miles  between  the  Black 
Sea  and  the  Caspian.  A  well-built  military  road,  ris- 
ing to  a  height  of  about  9,000  feet,  makes  the  passage 
easy  and  delightful,  opening  as  it  does  scenery  amid 
mountain  peaks  2,000  feet  higher  than  Mount  Blanc, 
and  passing  on  the  north  side,  through  a  deep  moun- 
tain gorge,  the  classic  gate  of  Dariel,  which  is  so  nar- 
row at  one  point  that  it  was  once  actually  obstructed 
by  gates  like  those  which  guard  the  entrance  to  a 
walled  city.  In  following  this  pass  we  had  interesting 
evidence  of  the  former  extension  of  glacial  ice  in  a 
terminal  moraine  crossed  far  down  on  the  south  side 
of  the  mountain  range. 

From  Vladikavkas  on  the  northern  terminus  of  the 
road  through  the  Dariel  Pass,  we  started  by  rail  for 
Moscow,  a  distance  of  1,213  miles.  The  charge  for  a 
first-class  ticket  was  only  $15.25,  which  provided  sleep- 
ing accommodations  in  the  public  saloon  of  the  car; 
but  for  one  dollar  extra,  half  a  private  apartment  with 
excellent  sleeping  accommodations  could  be  secured. 
For  several  hours  the,  loftiest  peaks  of  the  Caucasus 


3IO  Story  of  My  Life 

Mountains  to  the  southwest  were  full  in  view,  but 
soon  we  were  too  far  out  on  the  boundless  plains  of 
Russia  to  have  much  diversified  scenery.  After  going 
four  hundred  miles  we  came  to  Rostov  on  the  Don, 
a  well-built  city  scarcely  a  hundred  years  old,  with  a 
population  of  120,000,  of  which  more  anon.  For  two 
hundred  miles  further  we  rode  through  the  prairie 
country  occupied  by  the  Cossacks  of  the  Don,  seeing 
the  many  indications  of  their  military  organization, 
and  being  impressed  with  the  many  economies  result- 
ing from  the  collection  of  the  agricultural  population 
in  villages  and  the  herding  of  animals,  which  dispenses 
with  the  cost  of  building  fences.  For  hours  we  rode 
through  the  black-earth  region  of  southeastern  Russia 
without  seeing  a  fence  or  a  weed.  Wheat  is  the  staple 
product  for  export  and  all  the  railroad  stations  were 
provided  with  immense  sheds  where  the  grain  was 
stored  in  sacks  ready  for  shipment. 

On  nearing  Moscow  we  left  the  treeless  prairie  re- 
gion, and  found  ourselves  whizzing  through  frequent 
stretches  of  pine  and  oak  forest,  and  across  ill-drained 
areas,  which  indicated  that  we  were  well  within  the 
glaciated  region.  The  soil  is  less  fertile,  and  one  won- 
ders how  it  came  to  pass  that  Moscow  should  become 
the  capital  of  this  great  empire.  But  like  the  suprem- 
acv  of  New  England,  that  of  northern  Russia  is  that 
of  mind  over  matter.  A  certain  amount  of  difficulty 


Across  Asia  311 

to  be  overcome  so  stimulates  the  heroic  elements  in 
man,  that  it  serves  to  facilitate  rather  than  hinder  his 
triumphs. 

Of  the  other  great  cities  of  Russia  besides  Rostov, 
we  visited  only  four, — Moscow,  Petrograd,  Kiev,  and 
Odessa.  Of  these  Moscow  and  Kiev  are  the  most 
interesting.  Petrograd  and  Odessa  are  comparatively 
new  cities,  having  had  a  recent  growth  as  rapid  as  that 
of  Chicago.  Moscow  and  Kiev,  too,  have  grown  rap- 
idly; but  they  still  have  about  them  the  flavor  of 
ancient  capitals.  It  was  at  Kiev  that  Vladimer  in  the 
tenth  century  was  converted  to  Christianity,  and  made 
his  capital  the  Jerusalem. of  Russia.  It  is  at  the  Krem- 
lin in  Moscow  that  the  Czars  still  go  to  be  crowned. 
So  much  of  historic  interest  is  centered  there  that  there 
is  much  occasion  for  the  Russians  saying,  "  Above 
Russia  is  Moscow,  above  Moscow  the  Kremlin,  above 
the  Kremlin  only  heaven."  All  these  places  are  now 
centers  of  great  scientific  and  intellectual,  as  well  as 
of  commercial  and  manufacturing,  activities.  It  was 
this  which  principally  drew  us  to  them,  and  our  ex- 
pectations were  more  than  met  in  the  wealth  of  their 
scientific  museums  and  publications,  and  in  the  inter- 
est which  the  professors  and  the  heads  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  State  took  in  our  investigations. 

One  of  the  most  touching  incidents  illustrating  the 


312  Story  of  My  Life 

kindheartedness  of  the  Russian  people  was  witnessed 
as  we  approached  Moscow.  The  November  frosts 
had  already  covered  the  small  ponds  in  the  vicinity 
with  a  coating  of  ice  sufficient  to  invite  the  children  to 
play  upon  it.  Hundreds  of  children  of  all  classes 
swarmed  out  to  enjoy  the  privilege  of  sliding  upon 
the  glare  surfaces.  But  a  large  part  of  the  children 
were  barefooted  and  could  not  slide.  The  children 
who  had  shoes,  however,  after  sliding  a  while,  were 
seen  to  lend  their  shoes  to  their  barefooted  companions 
that  they  might  slide.  Who  shall  say  that  the  spirit  of 
Christianity  has  not  pervaded  the  masses  of  the  peo- 
ple in  Russia? 

In  Petrograd  we  remained  from  the  I5th  to  the 
22d  of  November.  During  all  this  time  the  wonder 
continued  to  grow  upon  us  that  so  large  and  magnifi- 
cent a  city  should  flourish  in  the  latitude  of  southern 
Greenland,  where  in  the  middle  of  November  the  sun 
does  not  rise  till  nearly  nine  o'clock,  and  sets  at  half- 
past  three.  But  with  a  population  of  more  than  1,500,- 
ooo,  and  with  streets  brilliantly  lighted,  and  endless 
art  galleries  open  to  the  public  free  of  expense,  and 
with  houses  doubly  protected  against  the  cold,  and 
well-warmed,  life  in  the  city  is  really  most  attractive 
to  all  classes.  Here  we  were  hospitably  entertained 
by  members  of  the  Geological  Survey,  prominent  of 
whom  were  Nikitin,  Tchernyschev,  and  Frederick 


Across  Asia  313 

Schmidt,  all  of  whom  expressed  great  interest  in  our 
glacial  investigations  in  Siberia  and  Turkestan,  as 
they  were  confirmatory  of  their  own  observations. 
Dr.  Tchernyschev,  especially,  coincided  with  our  in- 
ferences as  to  the  extent  to  which  water  had  been  in- 
strumental in  distribution  of  the  loess  in  Central  Asia, 
and  concerning  the  unity  of  the  Glacial  epoch.  Hil- 
koff,  head  of  the  department  of  transportation,  was 
especially  interested  to  get  our  report  upon  the  condi- 
tion of  the  trans-Siberian  railroad,  and  of  the  post- 
road  through  Turkestan,  which  he  had  recently  built. 
General  Rikatcheff,  the  head  of  the  Weather  Bureau, 
took  great  interest  in  consulting  with  my  son,  who  for 
some  time  had  been  connected  with  the  United  States 
Weather  Bureau,  and  gave  us  the  volume  of  elaborate 
maps  which  the  Russian  government  had  recently 
published,  having  special  value  from  the  fact  that  the 
Russian  government  collects  its  facts  from  a  larger 
continuous  land  area  than  any  other  country,  and  its 
records  in  many  places  in  Siberia  go  back  two  hun- 
dred years. 

Our  route  from  Petrograd  to  Odessa  was  by  way  of 
Vilna  and  Kiev,  crossing  near  Vilna  the  route  of  Na- 
poleon's disastrous  retreat  from  Moscow.  The  Bere- 
sina  River,  where  his  army  suffered  most,  is  a  com- 
paratively small  stream  running  through  a  swampy 


314  Story  of  My  Life 

region,  produced  by  the  imperfect  drainage  of  a  re- 
cently glaciated  area.  It  is  in  such  a  glaciated  region, 
with  its  innumerable  swamps  and  lakes,  that  the  Rus- 
sians and  Germans  have  been  contending  for  suprem- 
acy in  1914  and  1915.  All  the  way  to  Kiev  we  felt 
at  home  amid  glacial  moraines  and  gravel  plains  such 
as  one  meets  continually  in  central  and  southwestern 
Ohio.  On  reaching  Odessa  we  found  ourselves  where 
the  sun  rose  an  hour  earlier  than  in  Petrograd  and 
set  an  hour  later.  Another  four  hundred  miles  to  the 
south  would  bring  us  to  the  latitude  of  New  York 
City,  and  to  the  genial  winter  climate  of  Constan- 
tinople. 

We  had  not  planned  to  visit  Kiev,  which  was  some 
distance -off  from  the  main  line  of  Odessa,  but  the 
geologists  of  Petrograd  told  us  that,  as  Professor 
Armaschevsky  had  recently  discovered  remains  of  man 
beneath  the  glacial  deposits  near  that  city,  it  was  im- 
portant for  us  to  see  him.  On  reaching  the  city, 
there  occurred  the  incident,  already  related,  in  which 
Professor  Armaschevsky  indicated  his  recognition, 
when  I  handed  him  my  card,  by  taking  down  from 
the  shelf  behind  him  a  copy  of  the  "  Ice  Age  in  North 
America  "  and  laying  it  before  me.  This  was  all  the 
introduction  I  needed,  and  as  the  Professor  did  not 
speak  English,  an  interpreter  was  secured  and  we  were 
shown  the  most  characteristic  mysteries  of  the  region. 


Across  Asia  315 

Kiev  is  situated  on  a  bluff  rising  some  three  hundred 
feet  above  the  Dnieper  River.  The  upper  fifty  feet 
of  this  bluff  is  a  glacial  deposit,  in  which  I  had  no 
difficulty  in  finding  granitic  pebbles  which  had  been 
transported  seven  hundred  miles  from  Scandinavia. 
It  was  at  the  base  of  this  glacial  deposit,  that  a  pre- 
historic village  site  containing  many  relics  of  man  had 
been  found  a  short  time  before,  thus  presenting  in 
Russia  substantially  the  same  archaeological  problems 
with  which  I  had  become  familiar  in  various  glacial 
deposits  in  America. 

I  need  not  pause  to  narrate  the  incidents  connected 
with  our  visit  to  Constantinople,  and  of  the  voyage 
through  the  isles  of  Greece  and  the  eastern  Mediter- 
ranean to  Beirut,  since  they  are  so  similar  to  those 
experienced  by  ordinary  travelers.  But  from  Beirut 
through  to  the  southern  end  of  the  Dead  Sea  in  Pales- 
tine, many  things  came  under  our  observation  that  are 
of  special  importance  and  interest.  And  here  again  I 
must  note  a  providential  circumstance,  not  of  our  own 
devising,  upon  which  much  depended.  It  was  now 
the  middle  of  December  and  too  late  for  ordinary 
tourists  to  make  the  journey  through  Palestine  on 
horseback.  But  fortunately  one  of  the  first-class  pas- 
sengers on  the  steamer,  who  landed  at  Beirut  (we 
had  taken  second-class  passage),  was  Rossiter  Scott 


3 If)  Story  of  My  Life 

of  Baltimore,  Maryland,  who  was  traveling  without 
any  distinct  plan;  but  on  consulting  with  us  he  ex- 
pressed a  desire,  late  as  the  season  was,  to  make  the 
overland  trip  to  Jersusalem.  While  we  three  were 
talking  over  the  plan  at  the  counter  of  Cook's  Bureau, 
Mr.  Moses  Cottsworth,  an  eminent  English  actuary, 
happened  to  come  in  and  overhear  our  conversation, 
and  at  once  intimated  that  he  would  be  glad  to  join 
such  a  party.  This  made  the  requisite  number,  so 
that  we  at  once  engaged  a  guide  and  set  out  for  Da- 
mascus, where  a  caravan  was  gathered  to  conduct  us 
to  Jerusalem. 

Mr.  Cottsworth  was  greatly  interested  in  reform- 
ing the  calendar  so  that  the  year  should  always  begin 
upon  the  same  day  of  the  week.  This  he  would  ac- 
complish by  having  thirteen  months  of  four  weeks 
each,  and  an  intercalary  day  at  the  end  of  each  year. 
In  the  interest  of  this  reform  (which  certainly  would 
be  of  great  advantage  to  business  and  manufacturing 
concerns  who  have  to  make  monthly  payment  rolls  for 
their  employees,  and  monthly  calculations  concerning 
conditions  of  their  business),  he  needed  to  gather  facts 
concerning  the  early  structures  in  Egypt  and  Palest  ne 
which  indicated  the  methods  of  determining  the  exact 
days  in  which  the  vernal  and  autumnal  equinoxes  oc- 
curred. He  had  already  found  that  the  pyramid  of 
Cheops  near  Cairo  was  built  with  such  a  slant  that  at 


Across  Asia  317 

the  equinoxes  it  swallowed  its  own  shadow,  and  so 
furnished  the  Egyptian  priests  with  a  sundial,  by 
which  they  could  indicate  the  exact  time  at  which 
seed  should  be  sown  every  spring  in  the  Nile  Valley. 
When  we  reached  Egypt,  we  saw  with  him  remnants 
of  the  old  graduated  scale  north  of  the  pyramid,  on 
which  the  shadow  would  indicate  the  exact  elevation 
of  the  sun  above  the  horizon.  Nothing  could  exceed 
the  expression  of  delight  when,  at  Shiloh,  amid  the 
hills  of  Ephraim,  Mr.  Cottsworth  discovered  that  the 
slope  of  the  battered  wall,  at  the  base  of  the  building 
erected  here  by  the  Children  of  Israel,  had  exactly  the 
slant  of  the  Egyptian  pyramids,  showing  that  they  had 
brought  with  them  the  architectural  ideas  of  the  land 
from  which  they  came.  With  these  congenial  com- 
panions we  set  out  for  our  survey  of  Palestine. 

THE  GREAT  JORDAN   "  FAULT  " 

From  Beirut  to  Damascus  a  narrow-gauge  railroad 
carries  one  over  the  Lebanon  Mountains  and  across 
the  valley  intervening  between  them  and  the  Anti- 
Lebanon  range.  This  valley,  known  as  Code-Syria, 
is  about  ten  miles  wide,  and,  though  3,000  feet  above 
the  sea,  is  bordered  by  mountains  rising  from  3,000 
to  7,000  feet  higher.  Baalbek  occupies  its  central  por- 
tion, being  on  the  divide  between  the  Orontes  River, 
which  flows  to  the  north,  and  the  Litany,  which  runs 


318  Story  of  My  Life 

to  the  south  as  far  as  the  base  of  Mt.  Hermon.  On 
first  looking  down  upon  it  one  might  suppose  it  to  be  a 
long,  narrow  lake  basin  which  had  been  filled  with 
sediment;  but  closer  attention  shows  that  it  is  a  syn- 
clinal depression,  open  at  both  ends,  which  has  been 
leveled  up  by  subaerial  erosion  and  covered  with  the 
fertile  wash  from  the  limestone  slopes  on  either  side. 
Its  productiveness  is  phenomenal,  and  it  is  still  cap- 
able, as  in  all  past  time,  of  supporting  a  dense  popula- 
tion. 

The  Litany  River,  after  running  about  eighty  miles 
to  the  south  and  reaching  a  level  of  2,000  feet  above 
the  sea,  suddenly  turns  to  the  west  and  crosses  the 
Lebanon  range,  making  the  descent  to  the  Mediter- 
ranean in  about  twenty-five  miles.  In  this  part  of  its 
course  it  has  probably  taken  advantage  of  a  "  cross 
fault,"  of  which  there  are  several  examples  farther 
south,  which  has  opened  a  channel  to  the  sea.  But,  in 
addition  to  this  cause  of  the  sudden  deflection  across 
the  Lebanon  range,  another  exists  in  the  enormous 
amount  of  volcanic  material  which  fills  the  valley  west 
of  Mt.  Hermon.  We  had  an  excellent  opportunity 
to  see  this  after  coming  into  the  head  of  the  Jordan 
Valley  at  Banias.  The  basaltic  masses  of  rock  here 
extend  entirely  across  the  valley,  and  rise  in  successive 
steps  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach  towards  the  north.  In 
every  respect  they  are  in  striking  contrast  to  the  fruit- 


Across  Asia  319 

ful  limestone  strata  of  the  mountain  slopes  on  either 
side. 

At  Damascus  we  took  horses  on  December  17  for 
Jerusalem.  As  we  had  no  tents,  we  depended  on 
finding  shelter  in  the  villages  wherever  we  should 
happen  to  be.  Our  first  stopping-place  was  Hineh,  a 
Syrian  village  on  the  southeastern  flank  of  Hermon, 
twenty-eight  miles  from  Damascus,  and  nearly  5,000 
feet  above  the  sea.  Our  shelter  was  the  house  of  the 
Russian  priest,  who  was  both  pastor  of  the  church 
and  teacher  of  his  native  language  in  the  parish  school. 
The  house  was  on  the  side  of  a  hill,  and  furnished 
shelter  for  animals  in  the  lower  story.  We  ascended 
to  the  family  residence  by  ten  or  twelve  stone  steps, 
and  found  there  a  platform  in  front  of  the  door,  on 
which  all  could  sun  themselves  in  pleasant  weather. 
This,  like  the  roofs  of  the  houses  upon  which  we  could 
look  on  the  lower  portion  of  the  hill,  was  covered  with 
dirt,  well  compacted  through  use  of  a  stone  roller. 
There  were  no  glass  windows  in  the  house.  The 
only  way  of  admitting  light  was  by  opening  the  doors 
and  the  close  wooden  shutters  on  one  side.  A  young 
Syrian  woman  who  had  been  educated  at  the  Scotch 
Mission  in  Damascus,  and  was  here  as  a  teacher  in  the 
school,  was  occupying  the  only  spare  room  in  the 
house.  This  she  vacated  for  us.  But  there  was  no 
means  of  warming  it,  and  as  a  storm  came  on  which 


320  Story  of  My  Life 

shut  us  in  for  all  the  next  day,  we  had  ample  oppor- 
tunity to  experience  some  of  the  discomforts  in  the 
life  of  the  region.  The  priest  and  his  family  of  six 
or  seven  were  all  living  in  the  adjoining  room,  where 
they  slept  and  ate  and  cooked  and  warmed  themselves 
by  an  open  fire  with  no  chimney  to  afford  escape  for 
the  smoke  and  poisonous  gases.  Their  only  fuel  was 
a  scanty  supply  of  corn  cobs.  During  the  evening  and 
the  following  day  nearly  the  whole  village  came  in  to 
see  us  and  to  shelter  themselves  from  the  driving  sleet 
and  snow.  Their  cheerfulness  under  these  conditions 
was  a  constant  surprise  to  us. 

Among  the  visitors  was  a  blind  girl,  about  ten  years 
old,  whose  father  was  dead,  and  who  had  no  shoes  or 
stockings.  My  compassion  moved  me  quietly  to  give 
ten  francs  to  the  young  Syrian  woman  who  was  her 
teacher,  with  which  she  promised  to  send  to  Damascus 
on  the  following  day  and  buy  shoes  and  stockings  for 
the  unfortunate  girl.  But  I  found  later  that  it  would 
have  taken  a.  fortune  to  clothe  all  the  bare  feet  of  the 
village.  When  the  wind  had  abated,  on  the  third 
day,  but  while  snow  was  still  falling,  we  ventured 
to  cross  the  remaining  spur  of  Hermon.  Though  the 
snow  was  a  foot  deep,  it  was  no  uncommon  thing  to 
see  a  buxom  lass  stalking  barefooted  through  the 
streets  of  a  village,  with  a  heavy  load  on  her  head. 
One  of  our  muleteers  had  nothing  on  his  feet  but  slip- 


Across  Asia  321 

pers,  one  of  which  was  so  loose  that  it  kept  coming 
off.  After  many  vain  attempts  to  keep  it  on,  he  at 
length  deliberately  took  it  off  and  tucked  it  under 
a  strap  which  held  on  his  mule's  load,  and  cheerfully 
waded  through  the  snow  barefooted  the  rest  of  the 
day.  I  noticed,  however,  that  on  the  next  day  he  was 
very  quick  to  appropriate  a  pair  of  well-worn  socks 
which  I  cast  aside  before  starting  in  the  morning.  It 
is  difficult  to  estimate  the  extent  to  which  human  be- 
ings can  inure  themselves  to  the  inevitable  hardships 
of  life. 

On  descending  to  the  Jordan  Valley  above  Lake 
Huleh  we  reached  sea  level,  leaving  the  snow  line 
3,000  or  4,000  feet  above  us,  and  rode  along  the  edge 
of  the  low  plain  which  extends  about  fifteen  miles  to 
the  north  of  the  lake.  Near  the  lake  this  becomes  so 
marshy  that  it  cannot  be  crossed,  but  the  most  of  it  is 
cultivated  by  the  Bedouins,  who  were  already  out  in 
great  numbers  putting  in  seed,  with  their  oxen  and 
plows.  On  passing  one  of  their  numerous  villages  of 
black  tents,  we  were  accosted  in  good  English  by  a 
native,  who  said  he  had  been  in  America,  and  asked 
us  to  stop  and  take  coffee  with  him.  Twice  before 
we  had  been  thus  accosted  by  Syrians  who  had  been 
in  the  United  States.  At  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
Presbyterian  Mission  in  Beirut,  which  we  chanced 


322  Story  of  My  Life 

to  attend,  much  was  said  about  the  tendency  of  their 
converts  to  emigrate  to  America.  In  one  group  of 
churches  containing  a  membership  of  400  or  500,  130 
had  gone  to  America.  The  woman  in  the  Jewish 
colony  at  whose  house  we  stayed  one  night,  later  on, 
told  us  that  her  husband  was  in  America,  and  she 
should  follow  him  as  soon  as  possible.  The  difficulty 
of  keeping  the  leaven  in  the  country  which  is  so  neces- 
sary for  its  regeneration,  is  one  of  the  most  discourag- 
ing factors  in  the  problem  of  Turkish  civilization. 

Lake  Galilee  is  more  than  600  feet  below  the  level 
of  the  sea.  One  of  the  most  marked  of  the  "  cross 
faults  "  of  the  region  extends  westward  from  the  Jor- 
dan Valley  a  little  south  of  the  lake.  This  is  known 
as  the  Plain  of  Esdraelon,  ?nd  fslls  down  in  its  high- 
est part  to  about  400  feet  above  s°a  level.  The  north 
side  of  this  "  fault  "  appears  as  a  series  of  precipitous 
cliffs  running  east  and  west  nnd  a  little  south  of 
Nazareth.  Mt.  Tabor  is  an  outlying  block  projecting 
part  way  into  the  plain. 

The  feature  in  the  Jordan  Valley  to  which  we  gave 
special  attention  is  the  terrace  of  fine  sediment,  about 
650  feet  above  the  level  of  the  Dead  Sea,  which  com- 
pletely surrounds  it,  and  stretches  far  out  beyond  each 
end.  This,  however,  attains  its  full  height  only  near 
the  margin  of  the  valley.  Towards  the  middle  of  the 
valley  it  descends,  either  by  a  gradual  slope,  or  by  a 


Across  Asia  323 

succession  of  more  or  less  well-marked  terraces,  of 
which  we  counted  twelve  near  the  south  end.  Where 
the  shores  are  precipitous  and  no  streams  are  entering 
from  the  sides,  the  material  consists  of  coarse  debris, 
somewhat  waterworn,  which  has  fallen  from  the  cliffs. 
But,  whenever  a  watercourse  comes  in  from  the  sur- 
rounding highlands,  there  is  a  delta-like  extension  cor- 
responding in  extent  to  the  size  of  the  stream  which 
has  contributed  the  material.  These  are,  however,  not 
characteristic  of  the  north  end  of  the  shores,  for  the 
reason  that  the  sea  is  here  so  deep  as  to  have  swal- 
lowed up  all  that  the  shores  have  heretofore  brought 
within  its  reach.  The  delta-like  extensions  of  the  ter- 
race are  very  pronounced  about  the  southeast,  the  Lisan 
being  most  prominent  of  them  all.  It  is  clear  enough 
that  in  a  recent  geological  age,  the  water  level  in  the 
valley  stood  for  some  time  about  700  feet  higher  than 
now,  and  has  gradually  receded  to  its  present  level. 

The  cause  of  this  fluctuation  in  the  level  of  the 
Dead  Sea  opens  an  interesting  field  of  speculation. 
By  most  recent  writers  it  has  been  connected  with  the 
Glacial  epoch,  as  in  that  of  the  filling  up  of  the  Salt 
Lake  basin  in  Utah.  As  long  ago  as  1862  Sir  Joseph 
Hooker  announced  that  the  cedars  of  Lebanon  were 
growing  on  a  terminal  moraine.  But  I  could  detect 
no  evidence  of  glacial  action  anywhere  in  the  Lebanon 
region  which  we  visited.  There  was  certainly  no  gen- 


324  Story  of  My  Life 

eral  glaciation  of  the  region.  Still,  as  it  is  probable 
that  the  Glacial  epoch  was  characterized  by  increased 
precipitation  and  diminished  evaporation  over  a  border- 
ing area  of  considerable  extent,  it  affords  an  easy  ex- 
planation of  the  rise  of  the  water  in  the  Jordan  Valley. 
I  observed,  also,  near  the  south  end  of  the  Dead  Sea, 
evidence  that  the  silting  up  took  place  to  a  large  ex- 
tent during  a  gradual  rise  in  the  water.  The  coarse 
material  near  the  bottom  was  frequently  so  far  out 
from  the  old  shore,  and  so  covered  with  thick  strata 
of  fine  sediment,  as  to  render  no  other  supposition  than 
this  possible.  The  Glacial  epoch  affords  the  best  ex- 
planation of  this. 

At  Jerusalem  we  were  met  by  my  Old  Andover 
friend,  Selah  Merrill,  then  United  States  consul.  His 
experience  in  the  survey  of  the  country  east  of  the  Jor- 
dan, and  his  long  residence  in  Jerusalem,  were  of  great 
service  in  our  subsequent  excursions  in  Palestine.  After 
visiting  Jericho  and  the  region  around  we  planned, 
under  his  direction,  a  trip  to  the  unfrequented  south 
end  of  the  Dead  Sea.  In  this  we  were  joined  by  Mrs. 
Theodore  Bent,  whose  extensive  travels  with  her  hus- 
band in  Ethiopia,  southern  Arabia,  and  Persia,  had 
not  only  rendered  her  famous  but  fitted  her  in  a 
peculiar  manner  to  be  a  congenial  and  helpful  travel- 
ing companion.  She  had  her  own  tent  and  equipment 


Across  Asia  325 

and  her  own  dragoman,  and  her  presence  added  greatly 
to  the  interest  of  the  trip. 

After  stopping  a  day  at  Hebron,  we  passed  along 
the  heights  till  we  descended  to  the  shore  of  the  Dead 
Sea  at  the  north  end  of  Jebel  Usdum,  through  the 
Wadi  Zuweirah.  Here  we  found  indications  that, 
during  the  rainy  season,  tremendous  floods  of  water 
rushed  down  from  the  heights  of  southern  Palestine, 
through  all  the  wadies.  Such  had  been  the  force  of 
the  temporary  torrents  here,  that,  over  a  delta  pushed 
out  by  the  stream  and  covering  an  area  of  two  or 
three  square  miles,  frequent  bowlders  a  foot  or  more 
in  diameter  had  been  propelled  a  long  distance  over  a 
level  surface.  At  the  time  of  our  visit,  the  height  of 
the  wTater  in  the  Dead  Sea  was  such  that  it  everywhere 
washed  the  foot  of  Salt  Mountain  (Jebel  Usdum), 
making  it  impossible  for  us  to  walk  along  the  shore. 
A  few  years  before  this,  however,  Professor  Hull  and 
Major  Kitchener,  when  conducting  their  survey  at 
the  same  time  of  year,  camped  on  the  shore  here  on 
a  sandy  beach  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  above  sea  level ; 
while  Professor  Schmidt  of  Cornell  University  did  the 
same  a  few  years  later.  These  variations  of  level, 
however,  are  due  to  local  and  temporal  causes,  rather 
than  to  such  secular  variations  as  produced  the  great 
changes  connected  with  the  Glacial  epoch. 

The  extent  of  this  delta,  and  that  of  many  others 


326  Story  of  My  Life 

which  we  had  observed  in  our  journey  along  the  west 
shore  and  which  WTC  had  seen  at  the  north  end,  opened 
up  a  chapter  in  the  history  of  the  Dead  Sea  that  never 
before  had  been  adequately  considered.  Instigated  by 
these  discoveries,  on  returning  home  I  prepared  a  paper, 
for  the  Society  of  Biblical  Literature  and  Exegesis,  in 
which  I  presented  abundant  evidence  to  show  that, 
owing  to  this  encroachment  upon  the  original  area  of 
the  Dead  Sea,  the  level  of  the  water  had  risen  greatly 
since  the  time  of  Joshua.  For,  supposing  that  the  sup- 
ply of  water  coming  into  the  sea  had  been  constant 
for  that  period,  the  evaporating  surface  must  have  been 
kept  constant  in  order  to  secure  the  equilibrium.  As 
the  larger  surface  in  the  northern  end  of  the  sea  was 
encroached  upon  by  these  deltas,  the  water  was  com- 
pelled to  rise  and  overflow  the  southern  portion,  which 
is  very  shallow  (scarcely  more  than  twenty  feet  deep 
anywhere),  thereby  maintaining  the  required  evaporat- 
ing surface.  This  supposition  not  only  has  the  support 
of  the  evidence  of  the  necessary  causes  at  work,  but 
also  is  confirmed  by  the  statements  given  in  the  book 
of  Joshua  (xv.  2,  5,  6;  xviii.  19)  of  the  boundaries 
at  the  northern  and  southern  ends.  It  also  conforms 
to  the  tradition  that  the  site  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah 
is  under  the  water  at  the  south  end  of  the  sea.  These 
views  have  been  embodied,  also,  in  an  article  on  the 
Dead  Sea  in  the  International  Standard  Bible  Encvclo- 


Across  Asia  327 

paedia,  and  accepted  by  such  high  authorities  as  Dr. 
Dalman  and  Clermont-Ganneau,  who  had  previously 
maintained  that  in  Joshua's  time  the  water  was  two 
hundred  feet  higher  than  now,  while  on  my  theory  it 
was  then  forty  or  fifty  feet  lower,  with  a  much  larger 
basin  in  the  northern  part. 

Near  the  mouth  of  Wadi  Zuweirah,  we  observed  a 
nearly  complete  section  of  the  6oo-foot  terrace  of  fine 
material,  displaying  the  laminae  deposited  by  succes- 
sive floods  during  the  high  level  maintained  by  the 
water  throughout  the  Glacial  epoch.  From  these  it 
was  clear  that  this  flooded  condition  continued  for  sev- 
eral thousand  years.  On  the  road  along  the  west 
shore  to  Ain  Jiddy  (En-gedi)  we  observed  (as  al- 
ready indicated)  ten  or  twelve  abandoned  shore  lines, 
consisting  of  coarse  material  where  the  shore  was  too 
steep,  and  the  waves  had  been  too  strong  to  let  fine 
sediment  settle. 

From  all  the  evidence  at  command  it  appears  that, 
at  the  climax  of  the  Glacial  epoch,  the  water  in  this 
valley  rose  to  an  elevation  of  1,400  feet  above  the 
present  level  of  the  Dead  Sea,  gradually  declining 
thereafter  to  the  6oo-foot  level,  where  it  remained  for 
a  long  period,  at  the  close  of  which  it  again  gradually 
declined  to  its  present  level,  uncovering  the  vast 
sedimentary  deposits  which  meanwhile  had  accumu- 
lated over  the  valley  of  the  Jordan, 'north  of  Jericho. 


328  Story  of  My  Life 

But  probably  this  cycle  in  the  history  of  the  valley  had 
already  been  accomplished  long  before  the  appearance 
in  it  of  the  Israelites  on  their  return  from  the  land  of 
Egypt. 

Our  ride  from  Ain  Jiddy  to  Bethlehem  was  notable 
in  more  respects  than  one.  The  steep  climb  (of  4,000 
feet)  up  the  ascent  from  the  sea  to  the  summit  of  the 
plateau  was  abrupt  enough  to  make  one's  head  dizzy. 
But  as  the  zigzag  path  brought  us  to  higher  and 
higher  levels,  the  backward  view  towards  the  moun- 
tains of  Moab,  and  towards  both  the  north  and  the 
south  end  of  the  Dead  Sea,  was  as  enchanting  as  it 
was  impressive.  Across  the  sea,  up  the  valley  of  the 
Arnon,  we  could  see  the  heights  above  Aroer  and 
Dibon,  and  back  of  El  Lisan,  the  heights  about  Rab- 
bah  and  Moab,  and  those  about  Kir  of  Moab,  while 
the  extensive  deltas  coming  into  the  Dead  Sea  along 
the  whole  shore  south  of  us  fully  confirmed  our  infer- 
ences concerning  their  effect  in  encroaching  upon  its 
original  evaporating  area. 

After  passing  through  the  wilderness  of  Jeruel  and 
past  Tekoah,  as  we  were  approaching  Bethlehem,  a 
little  before  sundown,  the  men  of  our  party  wished  to 
hurry  on  to  get  another  sight  of  the  scenes  amidst 
which  Christ  was  born.  As  Mrs.  Bent  was  already 
familiar  with  those  scenes,  she  preferred  to  come  along 


Across  Asia  329 

more  slowly  with  the  caravan,  and  told  us  to  go  on 
without  any  concern  for  her  safety.  But  soon  after 
arriving  at  Bethlehem,  the  sheik  who  accompanied  our 
party  overtook  us,  and  told  us  that  Mrs.  Bent  had 
fallen  from  her  horse  and  suffered  severe  injury; 
whereupon  we  all  started  back  over  the  rocky  path- 
way, to  render  the  assistance  that  seemed  to  be  needed. 
On  reaching  a  point  where  two  paths  to  Bethlehem 
separated,  we  were  told  by  a  native  that  he  thought 
our  party  had  proceeded  along  the  other  path  from 
that  we  had  taken,  and  that  it  would  be  found  to  have 
already  reached  its  destination  before  us.  We  there- 
fore returned  to  Bethlehem.  But,  soon  after,  the 
dragoman  came  in  great  haste,  saying  that  Mrs.  Bent 
had  indeed  fallen  from  her  horse  and  broken  a  limb, 
and  that  he  had  left  her  unprotected  in  an  open  field 
to  await  assistance.  Again,  therefore,  but  accom- 
panied by  six  strong  natives  with  a  large  woolen 
blanket,  on  which  to  convey  her,  we  proceeded  to  the 
place  where  the  accident  occurred.  Here  we  found 
her  where  she  had  been  lying  for  about  two  hours  un- 
der the  clear  starlight.  But,  instead  of  complaining, 
she  averred  that  it  was  providential  that  she  had  been 
allowed  to  rest  so  long  before  undertaking  the  painful 
journey  made  necessary  by  the  accident;  and  that  all 
the  while  she  had  been  occupied  with  the  thought  that 
she  was  gazing  upon  the  same  constellations  in  the 


330  Story  of  My  Life 

heavens  from  which  the  angel  of  the  Lord  had  ap- 
peared to  the  shepherds  to  announce  the  Saviour's 
birth. 

The  task  of  giving  her  relief  was  not  altogether  a 
simple  one.  The  surrounding  rocky  pastures  did  not 
yield  any  vegetable  growth  from  which  a  splint  could 
be  made  to  stiffen  the  broken  leg.  An  inspiration, 
however,  came  to  my  son,  who  suggested  that  we 
could  take  her  parasol  for  one  side  and  the  sound 
limb  for  the  other,  and  with  the  girdle  of  one  of  the 
men  bind  them  together  so  that  the  journey  could  be 
effected  safely.  No  sooner  said  than  done.  The  suf- 
ferer was  laid  upon  the  blanket  and  slowly  carried  to 
Bethlehem  by  the  strong  arms  of  our  native  escort. 
From  here  she  was  conveyed  by  carriage  to  Jerusalem 
where  we  arrived  between  one  and  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  taking  her  to  the  English  hospital,  of  which 
she  had  been  a  liberal  patron,  and  where  she  was  ac- 
quainted with  all  the  staff;  but,  alas!  this  hospital 
was  established  exclusively  for  Jews,  and  as  she  was 
not  one  they  refused  to  admit  her,  advising  her  to  go 
down  to  the  hospital  conducted  by  German  sisters. 
This,  however,  she  flatly  refused  to  do,  declaring  that 
rather  than  do  that  she  would  camp  on  the  steps  of 
the  English  hospital.  At  this  two  of  the  lady  mem- 
bers of  the  staff,  who  were  her  special  friends,  vacated 
their  room  and  she  was  provided  for. 


Across  Asia  331 

Respecting  the  sequel  we  would  simply  say  that  her 
limb  was  successfully  set,  and  with  cheerful  confidence 
she  assured  us  that  she  would  reach  London  before 
we  did  and  that  we  must  be  sure  to  call  upon  her 
there.  She  did  indeed  reach  London  before  we  left 
the  city,  but  it  was  on  the  last  day  of  our  stay,  and, 
as  our  tickets  had  been  purchased  for  the  noon  train 
going  to  Plymouth,  we  were  unable  to  accept  her  in- 
vitation to  dine  that  evening.  Some  years  afterwards, 
however,  when  visiting  the  city  with  Mrs.  Wright, 
we  found  her  at  home,  and  had  great  enjoyment  in 
repeatedly  visiting  her  and  studying  the  rare  collec- 
tions with  which  she  had  filled  her  house  upon  return- 
ing from  the  various  expeditions  in  which  she  had 
accompanied  her  artistic  husband. 

Upon  leaving  Jerusalem  we  visited  Egypt,  ascend- 
ing the  Nile  as  far  as  Assouan;  but,  as  Egypt  is  fa- 
miliar ground,  we  will  refer  simply  to  the  fact  that  in 
the  vicinity  of  Thebes  we  were  permitted  to  study  the 
abandoned  delta  terrace  of  one  of  the  streams  coming 
into  the  Nile  at  that  point,  in  which  Professor  H.  W. 
Haynes  many  years  before  had  found  paleolithic  im- 
plements (with  some  of  which  he  had  enriched  my 
collection),  indicating  an  occupation  of  the  valley  by 
prehistoric  man  long  anterior  to  the  construction  of 
the  oldest  monuments. 


332  Story  of  My  Life 

From  Egypt  we  sailed  to  Athens  and  spent  a  week 
in  visiting  the  centers  of  greatest  archaeological  inter- 
est in  Greece,  driving  down  from  Corinth  to  visit  the 
ruins  of  Mycenae  and  Tyrens,  so  fully  explored  and 
described  by  Schliemann. 

Crossing  to  Italy,  a  week  was  spent  in  the  vicinity 
of  Naples,  whence  we  made  an  excursion  to  Palermo 
to  visit  the  cavern  of  San  Giro,  from  which  twenty 
tons  of  fresh  bones,  representing  hippopotamus,  deer, 
ox,  and  elephant,  and  individuals  of  all  ages  from  the 
fetus  to  the  full-grown  animal,  were  found  and  ex- 
cavated in  1830,  and  exported  for  commercial  pur- 
poses. The  bones  were  so  fresh  that  they  were  cut 
into  ornaments  and  polished,  and  when  burnt  gave 
out  ammoniacal  vapor.  At  the  time  of  the  discovery, 
all  the  facts  were  carefully  collected  and  described  by 
Abbate  D.  Scina,  and  by  Dr.  Turnbull  Christie  in 
1831.  The  only  explanation  of  this  remarkable  col- 
lection of  bones  is,  that,  in  a  comparatively  recent  sub- 
sidence of  land  which  had  previously  been  elevated 
above  its  present  level,  this  incongruous  mixture  of 
animals  had  been  driven  pellmell  by  the  rising  water 
to  take  refuge  in  the  cave,  which  is  now  two  hundred 
feet  above  sea  level.  It  is  an  impressive  picture  that 
the  imagination  brings  up,  of  this  rising  tide  of  water 
entering  the  beautiful  amphitheater  in  which  Palermo 
is  situated,  and  driving  before  it  the  terrified  horde  of 


Across  Asia  .         333 

animals  that  could  find  no  other  escape.  Palermo  it- 
self, with  its  interesting  museum,  is  worthy  of  more 
attention  than  it  gets  from  the  ordinary  tourist. 

Pausing  at  Rome,  Florence,  and  Genoa,  we  en- 
tered France  through  Turin  by  way  of  the  Mount 
Cenis  tunnel,  and,  after  a  short  stop  in  Paris,  reached 
London,  where  I  met  again  the  large  circle  of  geolo- 
gists and  archaeologists  who  had  entertained  me  on 
my  first  visit  to  England,  and  read  a  paper  before  the 
London  Geological  Society  (later  published  in  their 
Proceedings),  summarizing  the  results  of  our  observa- 
tions in  crossing  Asia.  We  also  visited  Mr.  Cotts- 
worth  in  his  home  at  York,  where  we  were  permitted 
to  study  the  various  objects  of  archaeological  interest 
in  that  city  and  vicinity,  Returning  to  London,  we 
engaged  passage  on  a  steamer  from  Southampton,  just 
in  time,  as  before  remarked,  to  miss  meeting  Mrs. 
Bent,  our  unfortunate  traveling  companion  in  Pales- 
tine. 

HOME   AGAIN 

After  returning  from  our  fourteen  months'  trip 
around  the  world,  my  spare  time  was  occupied  for  two 
or  three  years  in  preparing  and  publishing  the  results 
of  my  observations.  The  most  important  publication 
was  "  Asiatic  Russia,"  in  two  volumes,  issued  by  Mc- 
Clure,  Phillips  &  Co.,  in  1902.  This  work  was 


334  Story  of  My  Life 

abundantly  supplied  with  illustrations  from  the  photo- 
graphs which  my  son  had  taken,  and  with  several 
new  maps,  and  presented  the  subject  from  every  point 
of  view, — from  that  of  physical  geography,  history, 
sociology,  economic  and  political  conditions,  geology, 
climate,  flora  and  fauna.  It  has  received  highest  praise 
from  both  English  and  Russian  sources.  In  spite  of 
the  high  price  of  $7.50,  the  edition  has  been  entirely 
exhausted.  So  highly  was  it  appreciated  in  Russia, 
that,  just  before  the  outset  of  the  present  war,  ar- 
rangements were  in  progress  for  the  translation  into 
Russian  of  a  new  edition,  incorporating  the  latest  sta- 
tistics ;  but,  like  so  many  other  things,  this  plan  was 
cut  short  by  the  absorbing  interest  of  Russia  in  her 
preparations  for  the  great  European  war.  Meanwhile 
I  contributed  to  the  Geological  Society  of  America  a 
paper  of  considerable  length,  on  the  "  Origin  and  Dis- 
tribution of  Loess  in  Northern  and  Central  Asia," 
and  an  article  to  McClure's  Magazine  on  "  Geology 
and  the  Deluge,"  giving  a  full  statement  of  the  facts 
which  indicated  a  recent  subsidence  of  the  land  in 
China,  Central  Asia,  and  northeastern  Europe. 

Soon  after,  much  interest  was  excited  by  some  re- 
markable discoveries  in  the  valley  of  the  Missouri 
River.  One  of  these  was  that  of  a  cluster  of  Canadian 
bowlders  at  Tuscumbiar  Missouri,  thirty  miles  south 


Across  Asia  335 

of  the  glacial  border,  which  had  been  established  as 
following  the  Line  of  the  Missouri  River  up  to  a  con- 
siderable distance  west  of  Tuscumbia.  Moreover, 
Tuscumbia  was  sixty  miles  above  the  junction  of  the 
Osage  River  with  the  Missouri. 

Here  was  indeed  a  problem.  Had  geologists  made 
a  mistake  in  limiting  the  movement  of  glacial  ice,  at 
this  point,  to  the  northern  bank  of  the  Missouri  River? 
To  attempt  a  solution,  I  made  two  separate  excursions 
into  the  region  for  the  purpose  of  testing  theories 
which  might  account  for  the  abnormal  facts.  First,  I 
surveyed  again  the  region  south  of  the  Missouri  River, 
and  found  that  there  had  been  no  mistake  in  our 
former  inferences  concerning  the  extent  of  the  glacial 
ice  to  the  south.  Glacial  ice  had  not  crossed  the  Mis- 
souri River  east  of  Jefferson  City,  so  these  bowlders 
could  not  have  been  brought  there  by  direct  glacial 
action. 

A  second  possible  theory  was  that  the  ice  had 
crossed  the  Kansas  River  an'd  penetrated  the  head- 
waters of  the  Osage,  whence  floating  icebergs,  broken 
off  by  the  glacial  flood,  had  brought  the  bowlders 
down  to  Tuscumbia.  Hence  I  went  up  into  Kansas 
and  surveyed  the  region  between  these  rivers,  and 
found  that  there  had  been  no  mistake  of  the  geologists 
in  limiting  the  glacial  boundary  there  to  the  Kansas 
River.  So  that  hypothesis  was  eliminated. 


336  Story  of  My  Life 

A  third  supposition  was,  that  there  were  outcrops 
of  rocks  in  Missouri  from  which  these  bowlders  might 
have  been  derived.  Consequently,  in  company  with 
Professor  E.  M.  Shepard  of  Drury  College,  who  was 
then  state  geologist,  I  went  over  the  Archaean  area, 
where  such  an  outcrop  might  properly  be  found,  and 
was  assured  that  there  were  no  such  rocks  in  Mis- 
souri. 

The  only  remaining  theory  was  one  of  extreme 
interest,  and  of  the  most  startling  character.  This  is 
that  in  the  closing  stages  of  the  Glacial  epoch,  when 
the  ice  was  rapidly  disappearing,  the  upper  Missouri 
River  was  supplied  with  about  twenty-five  times  the 
amount  of  water  which  now  annually  comes  into  it, 
and  all  this  during  the  summer  months.  Calculating 
the  width  of  the  trough  of  the  river  below  the  mouth 
of  the  Osage,  it  was  easy  to  see  that  this  would  pro- 
duce annual  floods,  at  that  point,  2OO  feet  in  height; 
while  the  Osage  River,  being  entirely  outside  the  gla- 
ciated region,  would  have  no  abnormal  addition  to  its 
water  supply  to  produce  floods  perceptibly  larger  than 
those  which  occur  annually.  As  a  result  the  2OO-foot 
flood  in  the  Missouri  would  set  a  current  up  the 
Osage  River  sufficient  to  bear  small  icebergs,  contain- 
ing northern  bowlders,  to  Tuscumbia,  where  they 
would  be  left  on  the  subsidence  of  the  water.  The 
first  announcement  of  this  theory  was  made  in  an 


Across  Asia  337 

article  published  in  the  New  York  Nation.  It  was 
interesting,  a  few  years  later,  when  I  called  on  Mr. 
Salomon  Reinach  in  the  museum  at  Saint-Germain-en- 
Laye,  near  Paris,  to  find  that  he  had  translated  this 
article  into  French  and  had  it  published  in  a  French 
periodical. 

Another  discovery  which  claimed  my  attention 
about  this  time  was  that  of  two  human  skeletons, 
found  by  Mr.  Concannon  at  the  base  of  the  loess,  in 
Lansing,  near  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  in  a  portion  of 
the  bluff  which  here  borders  the  Missouri  River. 
This  was  brought  to  the  notice  of  the  world  by  Mr. 
M.  C.  Long,  an  enterprising  archaeologist  of  Kansas 
City.  The  problem  was  to  determine  whether  the 
tunnel  in  which  Mr.  Concannon  found  these  skeletons 
was  in  the  original  undisturbed  deposit  of  loess.  Upon 
this  point  there  was  considerable  diversity  of  opinion. 
To  satisfy  my  own  mind  I  made  as  many  as  three 
visits  to  the  region,  studying  the  loess  deposits  of  Kan- 
sas City,  Leavenworth,  and  St.  Joseph.  At  St.  Jo- 
seph, I  was  greatly  assisted  by  Miss  Luella  A.  Owen, 
who  had  made  a  careful  study  of  the  region,  and  who 
was  a  member  of  the  International  Geographical  So- 
ciety. Under  her  guidance  I  visited  the  remarkable 
deposits  of  loess  at  St.  Joseph,  where  subsequently  she 
found  a  palaeolithic  implement  embedded  in  what  was 


338  Story  of  My  Life 

without  any  doubt  the  original  loess  deposit.  With 
her  and  Mr.  Long  I  also  visited  the  Lansing  locality. 
Subsequently,  Professor  N.  H.  Winchell  and  Mr. 
Warren  Upham  made  two  visits  to  the  region,  and 
collected  evidence  that  seemed  to  establish  beyond 
reasonable  doubt,  that  the  Lansing  skeleton  was  found 
in  loess  that  had  not  been  disturbed  since  its  original 
deposition.  In  an  elaborate  joint  article  prepared  by 
Miss  Owen  and  myself,  and  published  in  the  Ameri- 
can Geologist  (vol.  xxxiii),  the  evidence  of  the  an- 
tiquity of  these  skeletons  was  fully,  and,  I  think,  sat- 
isfactorily, collected  and  presented.  I  also  published 
an  illustrated  popular  article  in  Records  of  the  Past, 
which  brought  out  the  facts  clearly. 

The  principal  objection  to  the  glacial  age  of  these 
skeletons  is  due  to  two  misapprehensions — (i)  to  the 
assignment  of  extreme  antiquity  to  the  closing  scenes 
of  the  Glacial  epoch.  This  creates  unnecessary  ad- 
verse presumptions,  unfavorable  to  the  genuineness  of 
the  discovery.  (2)  The  resemblance  of  the  skeletons  to 
those  of  modern  man  leads  those  who  are  devoted  to 
extreme  evolutionary  views  to  reject  the  evidence  with- 
out due  examination.  But  on  the  other  hand,  Dr. 
Arthur  Keith,  of  London,  finds  the  evidence  of  the 
full  development  of  the  human  skeleton  during  the 
Glacial  epoch  in  England,  to  coincide  and  confirm  the 


Across  Asia  339 

glacial  age  of  the  Lansing  skull,  which  he  has  no  dif- 
ficulty in  accepting  as  genuine.1 

SUMMARY   OF    THE    RESULTS   OF    THE    ASIATIC    TRIP 

1.  My   scientific   lectures    in   Japan   were   instru- 
mental not  only  in  interesting  a  very  wide  circle  of 
hearers,   but  also,   I  was  told  years  afterwards  by  a 
missionary    (not   connected   with   my   own   denomina- 
tion),  in   securing   for  them   a  much  more  favorable 
hearing  than  they  had  before  been  able  to  obtain.    The 
Japanese  were  duly  influenced  by  the  fact  that  scien- 
tific culture  did  not  necessarily  interfere  with  Christian 
belief.    This  to  me  is  one  of  the  most  gratifying  results 
of  my  lecture  tour  in  Japan. 

2.  My  extensive  intercourse  with  Russians  of  all 
classes  gave  me  a  more  favorable  impression  of  the 
Russian  people  and  government,  and  a  more  hopeful 
view  of  their  future,  than  I  had  been  led  to  entertain 
by  the  various  writers  whose  books  and  articles  had 
come  to  my  notice.     Instead  of  finding  the  Russians 
of  all  classes  given  over  to  the  drinking  of  vodka  and 
to  bacchanalian  carousals,  I  found  an  unusual  propor- 
tion of  the  people  were  total  abstainers  from  alcoholic 
beverages.     My  first  contact  with  a  high  Russian  of- 
ficial  in   Japan   was   with   an    attractive  young   man, 
who,   though   offering   me   cigarettes,    did   not   smoke 
himself  in  my  presence.    The  missionaries  assured  me 
that  he  was  a  total  abstainer  from  alcohol,  and  co- 


340  Story  of  My  Life 

operated  heartily  with  them  in  promoting  total  ab- 
stinence. The  colonel  of  high  rank  to  whom  we  had 
an  introduction,  and  whom  we  met  at  Port  Arthur, 
turned  down  his  glass  when  the  wine  came  aro;  nd  at 
the  dinner  table,  as  did  two  brilliantly  decorated 
young  members  of  the  governor's  staff  with  whom  we 
dined  at  Irkutsk,  A  fair  proportion  of  the  Cossrcks 
who  conducted  us  from  station  to  station  through 
Manchuria  neither  drank  nor  smoked.  Practically  all 
the  steamboats  upon  the  Siberian  rivers  are  owned  and 
run  by  "  Raskolniks,"  a  religious  sect  estimated  to 
number  more  than  12,000,000  individuals,  one  of 
whose  cardinal  principles  is  abstinence  from  alcohol 
and  tobacco.  Repeatedly,  also,  in  our  tarantass  rides 
through  Siberia,  we  found  ourselves  in  villages  of  this 
sect,  where  it  was  not  possible  to  get  anything  to  drink 
stronger  than  milk  and  water. 

3.  We  were  impressed  with  the  general  dissemi- 
nation of  knowledge  throughout  all  the  Russian  com- 
munities. In  every  city  of  ten  or  twelve  thousand  in- 
habitants there  was  a  museum  open  to  the  public, 
which  conveyed  ethnological  and  historical  facts  in 
such  a  way  that  those  who  could  not  read  could  yet 
understand ;  while  the  educated  classes  with  whom  we 
came  in  contact,  and  who  were  found  in  every  com- 
munity, were  very  highly  educated.  As  already  noted, 
we  were  repeatedly  requested  by  engineers,  high-school 


Across  Asia  341 

superintendents,  and  curators  of  museums  to  converse 
with  them  in  Latin,  when  other  languages  were  not 
available.  The  common  soldiers,  whom  we  met  every- 
where, were  able,  in  connection  with  our  maps,  to 
make  us  understand  what  they  believed  to  be  the 
destiny  of  their  Empire,  in  reaching  open  ports  on  the 
Pacific  and  the  Persian  Gulf,  and  in  getting  free  pas- 
sage through  the  Dardanelles. 

4.  The  religious  situation  in  Russia  put  on  a  new 
aspect  to  us  as  we  mingled  with  the  priests  and  peo- 
ple, and  attended  services  in  their  churches.  The 
priests  are  required  to  be  married,  and  though  evi- 
dently not  of  uniformly  high  intellectual  attainments 
still  fill  the  role  which  is  rrost  needed.  They  are  kind 
and  sympathetic,  and  their  families  for  the  most  part 
exemplary;  while  the  liturgy  of  the  Church  brings  to 
the  minds  of  the  people  the  richest  truths  of  the  gos- 
pel. A  large  portion  of  their  church  service  consists 
in  the  reading  of  Scripture,  and  the  Bible  is  every- 
where freely  circulated.  Repeatedly  in  Siberia  we  en- 
countered colporteurs,  coming  upon  the  train  and  of- 
fering us  Bibles  for  sale.  In  the  ninety-three  post- 
houses  at  which  we  stopped  in  going  through  Turkes- 
tan we  found  upon  every  table  a  portion  of  the  Scrip- 
tures translated  into  the  language  of  the  region,  and 
bearing  the  imprint  of  the  Petrograd  Bible  Society, 
acting  in  conjunction  with  the  British  and  Foreign 


342  Story   of  My   Life 

Bible  Society;  and  we  learned  that  the  agents  of  the 
Bible  Society  had  free  passes  from  the  government, 
for  both  themselves  and  their  baggage,  over  the  entire 
railroad  system. 

5.  Russian  church  music  is  the  best  in  the  world, 
and  most  effective  in  bringing  home  to  the  hearts  of 
the  people  the  essentials  of  the  doctrines  of  Christian- 
ity. On  purchasing  a  large  collection  of  their  church 
music  at  Blagovestchensk,  I  found  that  it  ha  1  all  passed 
through  the  hands  of  the  eminent  Russian  composer,  P. 
Tchaikovsky.  He  also  had  composed  a  considerable 
amount.  Among  his  compositions  was  the  music  for 
the  Liturgy  of  St.  John  Chrysostom,  one  of  the  most 
precious  relics  of  early  religious  literature.  Tchai- 
kovsky's setting  of  music  for  the  Liturgy  was  so  highly 
valued  by  my  musical  associates  at  Oberlin,  that  I 
translated  the  words  into  English  and  adjusted  them 
to  the  music,  so  that  our  choir  could  make  use  of  it. 
On  learning  what  I  had  done,  Jurgenson,  the  principal 
musical  publisher  of  Moscow,  requested  the  privilege 
of  publishing  an  edition  with  my  words.  This  he  did, 
and  I  consider  it  one  of  the  most  gratifying  accom- 
plishments of  my  life  that  I  should  have  secured  the 
association  of  my  name  with  that  of  Tchaikovsky,  in 
the  following  title-page:  Liturgy  of  St.  John  Chry- 
sostom. Set  to  Four-Part  Choral  Music  for  Mixed 
Voices.  Composed  by  P.  Tchaikovsky.  Words  trans- 


Across  Asia  343 

lated  and  adjusted  to  Music  by  G.  Frederick  Wright. 
Op.  41.  Moscow  and  Leipsic:  P.  Jurgenson. 

The  composition  consists  of  fifteen  pieces,  and  is  as 
varied  in  its  character  as  are  the  themes  of  the  Liturgy 
itself,  leading  up,  from  what  in  the  Latin  mass  is  the 
Kyrie,  to  a  magnificent  Hallelujah  chorus,  which 
celebrates  the  completion  of  the  redemptive  work  of 
Christ.  The  Liturgy  includes  a  cherubim  song  which 
is  peculiar  to  the  Greek  Church;  the  Lord's  Prayer; 
and  the  entire  Nicene  Creed. 

This  Liturgy  is  everywhere  used  in  the  Russian 
churches,  and  of  itself  is  sufficient  to  bring  the  entire 
circle  of  Christian  truth  home  to  the  hearts  of  the  peo- 
ple. The  music  is  rendered  by  male  voices,  without 
instrumental  accompaniment,  the  singers  being  a  part 
of  the  church  officials.  Let  one  go  into  any  church 
whatever  throughout  the  Empire,  and  he  will  hear  this 
Liturgy  sounded  forth  in  the  noblest  and  most  appro- 
priate harmonies  conceivable.  There  are  no  seats  in 
the  Russian  churches,  so  that  rich  and  poor,  high  and 
'low,  officers  and  subalterns,  all  crowd  in  together  in 
the  most  democratic  fashion.  It  is  a  most  touching  scene 
to  see,  as  we  frequently  did,  a  horny-handed  peasant  and 
his  care-burdened  wife  come  into  a  magnificent  church 
together  and  stand  with  the  tears  rolling  down  their 
cheeks  when  the  choir  sounds  out  the  sublime  words 
of  the  Nicene  Creed :  '  I  believe  in  Jesus  Christ  the  only 


344  Story  of  My  Life 

begotten  Son  of  God  .  .  .  who  for  us  sinful  men  came 
down  from  heaven  .  .  .  and  became  like  unto  men,  and 
was  crucified  under  Pontius  Pilate,  and  he  suffered 
and  was  buried,  but  he  rose  on  the  third  day  accord- 
ing to  the  word,  and  ascended  into  heaven  most  high 
and  now  sitteth  at  the  right  hand  of  God.'  But  it 
was  a  still  more  impressive  scene  to  encounter  far  out 
in  the  Siberian  wilderness  a  church  car  provided  with 
a  priest  and  choir  and  all  the  necessary  preparations  for 
a  church  service,  and  to  see  the  people  gathered  from 
their  lonely  fields  of  labor,  and  the  third-class  pas- 
sengers of  our  train,  taking  part  in  a  service  as  noble 
and  beautiful  as  any  that  is  rendered  in  the  largest 
and  richest  cities  of  the  Empire.  In  no  country  in  the 
world  are  the  common  people  more  completely  im- 
bued with  the  principles  and  truths  of  the  gospel  than 
in  Russia.  Through  all  the  formalism  of  the  church 
services,  the  truths  of  the  Christian  system  shine  with 
irresistible  power,  illustrating  the  statement  of  the 
Evangelist  concerning  Christ's  ministry,  that  "  he 
could  not  be  hid." 

6.  When  wandering  about  in  the  vast  fertile  fields 
and  riding  through  the  dense  forests  and  rich  mining 
regions  of  Siberia,  and  noting  the  boundless  oppor- 
tunities for  irrigation  in  Turkestan,  where  the  Tian- 
Shan  Mountains,  rising  thousands  of  feet  higher  than 
the  Alps,  and  with  twenty  times  their  mass,  keep  the 


Across  Asia  345 

water  in  cold  storage,  to  be  let  down  in  unfailing 
quantities  throughout  the  spring  and  summer  when  it 
is  needed,  it  was  easy  for  us  to  foresee  an  immense 
immigration  following  upon  the  opening  of  the  coun- 
try by  the  building  of  the  trans-Siberian  and  Trans- 
caspian  railroads.  And,  as  already  noted,  such  an 
immigration  from  Russia  has  taken  place  during  the 
last  decade  on  an  enormous  scale ;  and  village  com- 
munes of  Russian  settlers  are  rapidly  transforming 
Turkestan  and  southern  Siberia  into  densely  populated 
centers  of  modern  civilization.  The  future  of  Asiatic 
Russia  is  boundless  in  its  possibilities,  and  its  develop- 
ment is  rapidly  becoming  actual.  Even  in  1900,  in  a 
small  bookstore  in  Omsk  on  the  Irtysh  River,  I  pur- 
chased books  of  as  high  a  grade  as  could  be  found 
upon  the  counters  of  the  largest  bookstores  of  the  Mid- 
dle West  in  America.  There  are  single  libraries  in 
Siberia  and  Turkestan  that  compare  with  the  best 
we  have  in  America  outside  the  Atlantic  Coast  and  in 
some  of  our  largest  universities  in  the  Interior. 

7.  With  reference  to  the  scientific  objects  of  my 
trip,  the  following  conclusions  seem  worthy  not  only 
to  be  put  on  record,  but  also  to  be  emphasized,  lest 
they  fail  to  receive  proper  recognition: 

(i)  As  already  stated,  the  glaciated  areas  in  Mon- 
golia and  in  the  Transbaikal  region  as  marked  on  the 
maps  in  James  Geikie's  last  edition  of  "  The  Great 


34^  Story  of  My  Life 

Ice  Age,"  proved  to  be  non-existent.  There  may  have 
been  limited  accumulations  of  ice  upon  the  Vitim 
plateau,  east  of  Lake  Baikal,  which  rises  to  the  height 
of  5,000  feet  above  the  sea.  But  it  is  certain  that 
glaciers  did  not  descend  from  it  into  the  broad  and 
beautiful  valley  which  runs  north  from  Chita  along 
the  eastern  border  of  the  plateau.  My  observations 
to  this  effect  were,  as  already  stated,  emphatically 
seconded  by  the  Russian  geologists  I  afterwards  met 
in  Petrograd.  It  was  also  evident  that  no  glaciers  ever 
came  down  into  the  plains  north  of  the  Tian-Shan 
Mountains  to  become  confluent,  as  they  did  from  the 
Alps  in  Switzerland  during  the  Glacial  epoch,  though 
the  Tian-Shan  Mountains,  as  we  have  said,  are  vastly 
higher  and  more  massive  than  the  Alps  and  in  the 
same  latitude.  As  already  noted,  also,  later  direct 
observations  by  Professors  Davis  and  Huntington 
brought  to  light  the  fact  that  the  glaciers  in  the  Tian- 
Shan  Mountains  never  descended  below  the  level  of 
7,OOO  feet,  while  at  the  present  time  they  are  limited 
to  the  level  of  12,000  feet. 

(2)  As  to  the  origin  and  the  distribution  of  the 
loess,  my  observations  supported  the  theory  that  it  is 
of  glacial  origin,  and  that  its  distribution  has  been 
accomplished  by  both  wind  and  water.  In  northern 
and  western  China  it  is  found  on  mountain  passes 
5,000  feet  above  the  sea,  where  it  could  have  been 


Across  Asia  347 

brought  only  by  the  agency  of  wind ;  while,  in  the  bor- 
dering plains  and  valleys  at  lower  levels,  it  has  very 
clearly  been  distributed  by  water  during  a  period  when 
the  land  was  depressed  considerably  below  its  present 
level.  The  erosion  of  the  loess  in  the  higher  levels  is 

now  progressing  rapidly,  and  its  redeposition  is  taking 

\ 

place  on  the  flocrd  plains  of  the  Yang-tze  and  the 
Hwangho,  and  some  of  the  smaller  rivers  farther 
north,  while  immense  bordering  shoals  of  it  are  being 
built  up  along  the  whole  northeastern  coast.  These 
deposits  are  known  to  have  encroached  upon  the  sea 
for  a  distance  of  many  miles. 

If,  however,  the  glacial  origin  of  the  loess  is  main- 
tained, the  source  of  the  Chinese  material  must  be 
looked  for  in  the  vast  mountain  masses  which  sur- 
round the  basin  west  of  the  desert  of  Gobi,  where,  in 
the  Himalaya  and  Tian-Shan  mountains,  the  glaciers 
are  still  slowly  grinding  out  their  grist  of  loess  to  be 
carried  by  the  streams  of  the  plains  below,  where  it  is 
taken  up  by  the  westerly  winds  and  transported  for 
thousands  of  miles  to  the  eastern  border  of  Mongolia. 
But  during  the  Glacial  epoch  these  loess  mills  were 
far  more  active  than  now,  so  that  we  may  well  believe 
they  could  have  supplied  the  material  which,  trans- 
ported by  the  winds,  became  entangled  in  the  network 
of  low  mountain  chains  and  tortuous  valleys  which 
characterize  northeastern  China,  whence  the  ever- 


348  Story  of  My  Life 

active  streams  have,  until  now,  been  transporting  and 
spreading  it  out  at  lower  levels,  to  serve  the  varied 
interests  of  that  populous  empire.  In  Turkestan,  like- 
wise, the  immense  deposits  of  loess  about  Tashkent  and 
Samarkand  may  be  traced  to  the  glaciers  in  the  Tian- 
Shan  Mountains,  where  the  rivers  rise  which  still 
fertilize  those  populous  historic  regions.  In  southern 
Russia,  too,  the  fertile  wheat-bearing  black  belt  is  a 
loess  deposit,  related  to  the  Glacial  epoch  in  Europe 
as  the  prairies  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  are  to  that 
epoch  in  North  America. 

(3)  I  was  permitted,  also,  to  add  something  to 
the  evidence,  already  existing,  of  great  recent  changes 
of  level  throughout  western  Siberia,  Central  Asia,  and 
eastern  Europe.  The  southern  end  of  Lake  Baikal  is 
shown  by  my  calculations  to  be  a  very  recent  geologi- 
cal depression,  whose  age  can  be  estimated  in  tens  of 
thousands  rather  than  hundreds  of  thousands  of  years, 
thus  supporting  the  general  contention  that  some  of  the 
vast  geological  changes  which  took  place  in  the  closing 
stages  of  the  Tertiary  period  date  from  less  than  one 
hundred  thousand  years  ago.  The  evidence  of  an  ex- 
tensive postglacial  depression  of  the  region  extending 
from  Lake  Baikal  to  central  Europe  is  such  as  cannot 
be  reasonably  questioned.  In  addition  to  that  derived 
from  the  presence  in  Lake  Baikal  of  arctic  seal,  much 
specific  direct  evidence  was  brought  to  light  in  the 


Across  Asia  349 

course  of  our  journey  through  Turkestan.  For  nearly 
a  thousand  miles  we  drove  along  the  base  of  the  Tian- 
Shan  Mountains,  at  an  elevation  of  about  2,000  feet 
above  the  sea.  Wherever  the  numerous  mountain 
streams  debouched  upon  the  northern  plain  there  were 
apparently  deltas  of  loess  such  as  would  be  formed  if 
the  water  stood  at  that  level  when  the  silt-laden 
streams  entered  it.  Subsequently  as  the  land  was  ele- 
vated these  deltas  were  very  much  dissected  by  the  ero- 
sion of  the  stream;  still,  not  so  much  so  as  wholly  to 
disguise  the  original  formation.  On  reaching  Trebi- 
zond  on  the  south  shore  of  the  Black  Sea,  we  found 
still  clearer  evidence.  Here,  at  an  elevation  of  650 
feet  above  the  sea,  as  already  detailed,  there  is  an  ex- 
tensive deposit  of  gravel  clinging  to  the  sides  of  the 
volcanic  mass  of  rock  at  whose  base  the  city  is  built. 
Its  situation  on  the  steep  declivity  of  the  mountain  is 
such  that  it  could  not  have' remained  there  indefinitely. 
The  significance  of  these  facts  I  will  not  here  dis- 
cuss; but  in  "Asiatic  Russia,"  "Scientific  Confirma- 
tions of  Old  Testament  History,"  and  "  Origin  and 
Antiquity  of  Man,"  I  have  presented  the  theory,  that 
this  depression  is  connected  in  some  way  with  the  ac- 
count of  the  Deluge,  both  in  the  Sacred  Scriptures  of 
the  Jews  and  in  the  cuneiform  inscriptions  unearthed 
in  Babylonia. 


350  Story  of  My  Life 


CHAPTER   XII 

THIRD  VISIT  TO  EUROPE 

IN  the  fall  of  1904,  my  first  wife  having  died  five 
years  before,  I  was  married  to  Florence  E.  Bedford,  a 
Quaker  lady,  who  had  become  deeply  interested  in  my 
scientific  investigations;  and  in  the  following  year, 
with  her,  I  made  my  third  visit  to  Europe.  This 
time,  after  landing  in  Liverpool,  we  spent  a  week  or 
two  with  the  Cottsworths  in  York,  revisiting  the 
scenes  of  geological  and  archaeological  interest  in  that 
region,  and  then  went  to  Kilmarnock  to  visit  my 
friend  and  coadjutor,  Rev.  James  Lindsay,  a  philoso- 
phical student  of  wide  repute,  and  a  most  highly  es- 
teemed coworker  in  editing  the  Bibliotheca  Sacra. 
Dr.  Lindsay  had  then  been  for  a  long  time  pastor  of 
the  Old  Scotch  Kirk  of  the  town,  and  thus  was  able 
to  introduce  me  to  the  work  and  aims  of  that  branch 
of  the  Presbyterian  family.  After  a  very  profitable 
visit  with  him  and  his  mother  and  sisters,  with  whom 
he  was  then  living,  we  sailed  from  Leith  to  Copen- 
hagen, where  we  had  the  great  privilege  of  meeting 
Dr.  Fausboll,  Professor  of  Sanskrit,  in  the  University, 
whose  daughter  we  had  met  while  governess  in  the 


Third  Visit  to  Europe  351 

family  of  Governor  Bistrup  in  Greenland.  Professor 
Sophus  Miiller,  the  eminent  archaeologist  in  charge  of 
the  museum  at  Copenhagen,  also  gave  us  a  cordial  re- 
ception and  was  very  helpful  in  facilitating  our  plans 
to  visit  the  kitchen  middens  in  the  vicinity,  where  we 
could  see  for  ourselves  the  elevated  shell  heaps  in 
which  the  oldest  indications  of  man's  presence  in  Den- 
mark are  to  be  found.  The  most  important  of  these 
was  at  Frederickswerke,  which  was  typical  of  all  the 
kitchen  middens,  showing  a  considerable  elevation  of 
land  since  the  deposits  were  made.  Near  this  place 
also  was  a  typical  dolmen,  showing  an  immense  flat 
stone  resting  upon  stone  pillars  three  or  four  feet  high, 
making  it  difficult  to  surmise  how  such  an  immense 
stone  could  be  elevated  and  made  to  rest  in  so  unstable 
a  position.  The  solution  provided  by  the  King  of 
Denmark  himself  is  probably  correct,  being  the  same 
as  that  relating  to  the  elevation  of  the  great  stones  in 
the  Egyptian  temples,  namely,  that  the  earth  was  piled 
up  around  the  pillars,  forming  a  mound  of  gradual 
slant,  up  which  the  flat  covering-stone  could  be  pulled 
by  main  strength  and  let  down  upon  the  pillars,  after 
which  the  earth  would  be  removed  and  the  imposing 
monument  left  to  appear  with  all  its  impressiveness. 

In  the  museum  at  Copenhagen  it  was  gratifying  to 
see  a  collection  of  palaeolithic  implements  found  by 
Dr.  Abbott  in  the  gravel  deposits  at  Trenton,  New 


352  5/o ry  of  My  Life 

Jersey.  Altogether  Copenhagen  left  upon  us  the 
pleasantest  impression  of  any  city  which  we  visited. 
Its  museum  is  well-nigh  unrivalled,  both  in  the 
amount  and  in  the  arrangement  of  the  treasures  which 
it  contains.  Its  art  galleries,  especially  that  of  Thor- 
waldsen,  are  crowded  full  of  most  interesting  objects. 
Its  people  are  well  educated  and  contented,  and  are 
not  separated  by  the  extremes  of  wealth  and  poverty 
as  in  most  other  cities. 

With  regret  that  we  coi:ld  not  remain  longer,  we 
left  Copenhagen  and  crossed  over  to  Malmo  in  Swe- 
den, where  Professor  N.  O.  Hoist  of  the  Geological 
Survey  had  asked  us  to  meet  him,  to  see  some  of  the 
interesting  glacial  phenomena  of  the  region.  Dr. 
Hoist  had  visited  Greenland  and  published  most  im- 
portant observations  upon  its  glacial  phenomena,  nnd 
had  also  been  sent  to  Australia  to  study  the  evidence 
of  a  glacial  epoch  in  that  continent  which  occurred 
many  millions  of  years  ago  in  the  early  geological 
ages.  He  had  also  visited  me  in  the  United  States 
and  familiarized  himself  with  my  discoveries  here 
and  with  a  wide  range  of  the  glacial  field  in  America. 

Provided  with  a  midday  lunch,  and  accompanied  by 
Professor  H.  G.  Simmons  (who,  as  botanist,  had  ac- 
companied the  Sverdrup  expedition  to  Greenland),  we 
proceeded  into  the  interior,  partly  by  train  and  partly 
by  hand  car.  At  Tapplelargo,  twelve  miles  east  from 


Third  Visit  to  Europe  353 

Malmo,  we  came  to  an  area  of  several  acres  covered 
with  an  overvvash  deposit  from  the  terminal  moraine, 
which  is  a  mile  or  more  distant.  In  a  stratum  of  clay, 
about  seven  feet  thick,  many  species  of  shells  and  plants 
are  found,  indicating  peculiar  conditions  which  can  be 
accounted  for  only  by  supposing  that  during  the  final 
melting  away  of  the  ice  the  summers  became  very 
warm,  so  as  to  allow  temperate  species  to  flourish  close 
up  to  the  ice  front,  thus  allowing  them  to  mingle  with 
arctic  or  subarctic  species. 

It  is  evident  from  inspection  of  the  stratum  that 
these  species  lived  and  were  deposited  contempora- 
neously, and  not  by  an  advance,  of  the  ice  after  an  in- 
terglacial  period.  This  would  seem  to  meet  the  case 
of  the  commingling  of  temperate  and  subarctic  species 
which  Professor  Coleman  has  described  in  the  vicinity 
of  Toronto,  and  so  greatly  simplify  our  interpretation 
of  glacial  phenomena  in  the  northern  United  States 
and  in  Canada. 

We  were  also  taken  to  the  most  remarkable  glacial 
bowlder  that  has  ever  been  reported.  This  was  a 
mass  of  chalk,  five  miles  east  of  Malmo,  which  extends 
three  miles  in  a  northeast  and  southwest  direction, 
averages  1,000  feet  in  width,  and  from  100  to  200 
feet  in  thickness,  being,  so  far  as  I  know,  the  largest 
bowlder,  or  glacially  transported  mass,  that  has  been 
described.  It  is  everywhere  covered  with  till,  and  al- 


354  Story  of  My  Life 

most  everywhere  has  till  underneath  it.  Its  position 
is  between  what  we  should  call  the  upper  and  the 
lower  till,  the  upper  till  being  yellow  and  the  lower 
blue.  But  in  one  place,  which  I  examined,  the  lower 
or  blue  till  was  both  above  and  below  it. 

While  the  chalk  is  together  in  one  mass,  it  every- 
where shows  signs  of  immense  pressure  and  disturb- 
ance, being  broken  up  into  small  cubes,  and  having  its 
flint  nodules  cracked  and  arranged  in  lines  simulating 
stratification.  The  upper  part  of  the  chalk  has  also 
been  extensively  sheared  off  and  mingled  with  the  till. 

This  mass  of  chalk  has  been  brought  fully  to  light 
through  its  commercial  value,  eight  or  ten  companies 
having  mined  or  quarried  it  for  many  years.  It  be- 
longs to  the  true  soft  chalk  of  Cretaceous  age,  and 
had  been  supposed  by  nearly  all  of  the  earlier  geolo- 
gists to  indicate  a  Cretaceous  area,  where  it  wras  least 
to  be  expected,  since  the  chalk  which  mainly  underlies 
the  peninsula  belongs  to  the  Trias  or  Lias.  The  de- 
termination of  its  glacial  transportation  has  therefore 
solved  a  very  difficult  problem.  It  must  have  been 
picked  up  bodily  from  the  shores  or  bed  of  the  Baltic 
Sea,  and  transferred  westward  many  miles  to  its  pres- 
ent position. 

Dr.  Hoist  detailed  to  us  here  an  account  of  a  dis- 
covery of  the  remains  of  prehistoric  man  which  had 


Third  Visit  to  Europe  355 

long  been  discredited  by  the  Professor  of  Geology  at 
Lund,  by  reason  of  his  distrust  of  the  honesty  of  the 
workmen  who  had  found  the  objects.  These  work- 
men were  engaged  in  quarrying  the  chalk,  and  they 
averred  that  they  found  in  the  quarry  implements 
made  from  the  horns  and  bones  of  animals  which  still 
occupied  the  region.  These  stories  the  Professor 
tossed  aside  as  pure  fabrications,  but  events  proved 
that  the  workmen  were  honest  and  told  the  facts  as 
they  understood  them.  It  seems  that  prehistoric  man 
had  discovered  the  value  of  the  flints  for  making  im- 
plements, and  had  dug  through  the  sheet  of  till,  which 
overlay  the  deposit  containing  these  flints,  and  had 
made  extensive  excavations  in  the  chalk,  to  obtain  the 
material  for  their  tools  and  weapons.  But  when  man 
had  emerged  from  the  stone  age  to  the  use  of  bronze 
and  iron,  these  quarries  were  neglected,  and  in  time 
were  filled  up  with  sediment  carried  in  by  heavy  rains 
and  melting  snow.  It  was,  therefore,  true  that,  when 
the  workmen  of  later  times  were  quarrying  away  a 
perpendicular  face  of  the  chalky  mass,  these  imple- 
ments of  bone  and  chipped  flints  fell  out  upon  them, 
coming  to  all  appearance  from  the  body  of  the  chalk. 
A  little  more  patience  in  interpreting  the  evidence 
would  have  saved  the  credit  of  the  wrorkmen  for  hon- 
esty, and  have  earlier  led  to  the  important  archaeologi- 
cal discoveries  which  Dr.  Hoist  had  just  made. 


356  Story  of  My  Life 

Being  unable  himself  to  leave  his  geological  work, 
Dr.  Hoist  sent  his  nephew  along  with  us  in  our 
journey  to  Solvitsborg,  sixty  or  seventy  miles  farther 
north,  to  visit  a  typical  section  of  the  postglacial 
raised  beaches  which  were  near  his  own  home.  These 
we  found  to  be  most  impressive  from  every  point  of 
view.  Several  miles  back  from  the  sea  and  170  feet 
above  it,  in  a  recess  on  the  side  of  the  mountain,  there 
were  vast  windrows  of  pebbles,  many  of  them  a  foot 
or  more  in  diameter,  which  had  evidently  been 
washed  into  position  by  the  tumultuous  waves  of  the 
ocean  when  it  stood  at  that  level.  The  fine  material 
had  all  been  washed  away,  and,  as  the  land  rose, 
three  or  four  lower  wnndrows  of  pebbles  had  been 
formed.  While  these  raised  beaches  are  only  170 
feet  above  the  sea,  others,  found  far  to  the  north,  are 
1,000  feet  above  the  sea,  indicating  a  postglacial  ele- 
vation of  the  land  there  to  that  extent. 

Space  will  not  permit  me  to  speak  of  the  delightful 
days  spent  in  Stockholm,  the  Venice  of  the  north,  ex- 
cept to  say  that  here  we  were  just  in  time  to  see  some 
of  the  recently  discovered  chains  of  gold,  which  had 
been  dug  from  some  of  the  mounds  of  the  region  and 
had  belonged  to  a  prehistoric  princess  of  high  rank. 
The  possession  of  such  a  mass  of  gold,  far  away  from 
the  mines  from  which  it  must  have  been  extracted, 
was  no  less  surprising  than  it  was  instructive  concern- 


Third  Visit  to  Europe  357 

ing  the  high  development  of  the  prehistoric  race  that 
inhabited  the  peninsula. 

Sailing  through  the  countless  islands  that  guard 
the  entrance  of  Stockholm,  and  pausing  for  a  short 
time  at  Helsingfors  in  Finland,  we  at  length  reached 
Petrograd,  where  we  were  both  surprised  and  de- 
lighted that  they  allowed  us  to  land  without  looking 
at  our  passports  or  examining  our  baggage.  On 
reaching  the  hotel,  however,  our  passports  were  sur- 
rendered, and  no  more  was  thought  about  them  till 
we  left  the  city.  But  on  account  of  them  we  felt  a 
safety  which  is  not  always  appreciated  by  travelers  in 
Russia,  but  which  is  illustrated  by  an  interesting  ex- 
perience of  Professor  Charles  M.  Mead  who,  as  he 
told  me,  at  one  time  had  lost  his  way  in  Petrograd, 
and  had  forgotten  the  name  of  his  hotel.  At  last  it  • 
occurred  to  him  to  report  himself  to  the  police  de- 
partment. On  doing  this,  they  looked  up  his  pass- 
port and  were  able  immediately  to  give  him  the  needed 
directions. 

After  a  few  days  spent  calling  on  the  geologists, 
(when  we  found  that  Nikitin  had  passed  away  and 
that  Tchernyschev  was  promoted  to  the  head  of  the 
Survey)  ;  visiting  the  museums  and  art  galleries 
(where  we  found  ourselves  elbowing  our  way  amid 
a  crowd  of  which  no  small  proportion  were  peasants, 


358  Story  of  My  Life 

in  their  homely  costume) ;  and  attending  operas, 
(where  again  we  encountered  a  large  company  of 
plainly  dressed  people,  consisting  of  families  with 
their  children),  we  took  train  for  the  4<x>-mile  ride 
to  Moscow. 

This  was  the  time  of  the  Russo-Japanese  war,  and 
Russia  was  under  military  rule,  and  in  the  throes  of 
the  revolutionary  attempts  of  that  critical  time.  The 
students  in  the  university  at  Moscow  were  on  a 
strike,  demanding  permission  to  bring  into  the  class- 
rooms socialistic  lectures  of  their  own  choice.  But 
good  order  prevailed,  and  we  were  not  in  any  meas- 
ure discommoded  by  the  condition  of  things.  One 
morning  after  we  had  been  two  or  three  days  in  our 
quarters  at  the  Slavonsky  Bazaar,  the  clerk  came  to 
me  with  a  letter  from  William  T.  Stead,  saying  that 
.he  was  to  arrive  the  next  day  and  desired  the 
reservation  of  a  suite  of  rooms  with  "  a  southern 
exposure."  As  the  clerk  was  doubtful  about  the 
significance  of  the  word  "southern,"  he  came  to  me 
for  help,  which  I  readily  gave  him. 

The  advent  of  Mr.  Stead  was  an  event  of  great  in- 
terest, for  he  had  been  invited  by  the  Czar  to  come 
from  England  to  visit  him  and  give  him  advice  in  the 
present  crisis,  and  act  as  an  intermediary  between  him 
and  the  revolutionary  forces.  Mr.  Stead  told  me  that 
his  interview  with  the  Czar  was  extremely  satisfac- 


Third  Visit  to  Europe  359 

tory,  that  he  had  had  a  heart-to-heart  talk  with  him, 
such  as  he  had  never  had  with  anyone  else.  He  said 
that  he  found  the  Czar  a  man  of  alert  mind,  well- 
posted  on  all  affairs  connected  with  his  position,  and 
evidently  anxious  to  do  what  was  best  for  all  parties 
concerned.  The  only  criticism  he  had  to  make  of 
the  Czar  was  that  he  was  inclined  to  agree  with  the 
last  man  who  talked  with  him,  "  which,  by  the  way," 
Mr.  Stead  remarked,  "  is  not  a  bad  quality  in  a  con- 
stitutional monarch." 

When  Mr.  Stead  was  in  Petrograd  he  exercised 
great  freedom  in  associating  with  the  Liberal  party, 
and  urged  the  authorities  to  free  the  distinguished 
agitator  JVliliukov  from  his  imprisonment,  which  was 
done  at  his  request.  Soon  after,  at  a  meeting  of  the 
Liberal  men  of  the  city,  both  native  and  foreign,  at 
which  Miliukov  was  present,  much  to  their  astonish- 
ment, there  was  free  discussion  as  to  the  course  which 
should  be  pursued  by  the  government.  Among  those 
present  to  take  part  in  the  discussion  was  Lewis 
Nixon,  former  head  of  Tammany  in  New  York,  who 
was  now.  in  Russia  to  assist  in  the  building  up  of  their 
navy.  In  emphatic  manner  Nixon  asserted  that  the 
thing  most  needed  in  Russia  was  a  series  of  Tam- 
many Halls.  In  reporting  this,  Mr.  Stead  looked 
up  with  a  very  knowing  expression  on  his  face  and 
said,  "  Perhaps  Nixon  is  not  so  far  off  as  he  might 


360  Story  of  My  Life 

seem;  for,  paradoxical  as  it  may  appear,  I  am  not  sure 
but  the  political  corruption  of  New  York  and  Chi- 
cago is  destined  to  be  the  salvation  of  America;  for 
the  foreigners  emigrating  to  America  are  mostly  im- 
bued with  anarchistic  ideas  and  are  opposed  to  all 
government,  but  they  are  cordially  received  by  Tam- 
many, assisted  to  homes  and  occupations,  and  aided 
in  times  of  trouble;  while  all  that  is  required  in  re- 
turn is  that  they  vote  the  Tammany  ticket."  "And 
why  shouldn't  they,"  said  Nixon.  "  Then  they  be- 
come good  citizens,"  continued  Stead,  "  and  are  made 
conservative  by  the  responsibility  that  rests  upon  the 
governing  power." 

Mr.  Stead  had  come  down  to  Moscow  to  attend  a 
meeting  of-  the  Zemstvos  and  convey  to  it  the  greet- 
ings of  the  Czar  and  his  desire  for  cooperation.  From 
the  subsequent  turn  of  affairs,  it  would  seem  that 
Stead's  mission  was  by  no  means  fruitless.  The  first 
Duma  was  so  impractical  that  the  country  would 
have  been  torn  to  pieces  if  it  had  been  allowed  to 
have  its  way.  The  courage  and  constancy  shown  by 
the  Czar,  in  holding  on  to  the  reins  of  government 
until  a  new  Duma  could  be  chosen  which  could  be 
trusted  to  preserve  the  unity  of  the  Empire  while 
gradually  introducing  the  safeguards  of  a  constitu- 
tional government,  have  never  been  fully  appreciated. 


Third  Visit  to  Europe  361 

Nor  has  the  outside  public  ever  given  full  credit 
to  the  government  and  the  higher  classes  in  Russia 
in  their  general  efforts  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the 
masses  of  the  people.  At  this  time  in  Russia,  the 
sale  of  intoxicating  liquors  had  been  taken  out  of  the 
hands  of  the  saloon  keepers  and  was  wholly  under  the 
direct  control  of  the  government,  and  liquors  were 
sold  only  in  sealed  packages  to  be  used  off  the  prem- 
ises. No  drinking  was  allowed  at  the  place  of  sale. 
This  method  was  adopted  with  the  hope  that  it 
would  diminish  the  sale  of  vodka.  But,  as  we  now 
know,  it  did  not  do  so.  Still,  the  adoption  of  this  plan 
by  the  government  rendered  possible  the  wholesale  pro- 
hibition of  the  sale  of  vodka,  which  was  made  at  the 
beginning  of  the  present  war. 

In  connection  with  the  closing  of  the  saloons,  the 
government  established,  as  a  temperance  measure, 
numerous  clean,  cheap,  lodging  places  in  the  cities, 
where  nourishing  foods  and  temperance  drinks  were 
furnished  at  a  low  cost,  and  connected  with  them  halls 
where  cheap  public  entertainments  could  be  provided 
for  the  people.  These  consisted  of  lectures  on  vari- 
ous practical  and  entertaining  subjects,  of  stereopti- 
con  entertainments,  and  musical  performances  of  a 
high  order.  I  attended  one  of  these  in  the  outskirts 
of  Moscow.  But,  being  a  little  late,  when  I  applied 
for  a  ticket  of  admission  I  was  surprised  to  find  the 


362  Story  of  My  Life 

charge  was  seventy-five  cents,  which  seemed  to  me 
not  a  very  popular  price.  On  entering,  however,  my 
mind  was  disabused  of  this  misunderstanding.  The 
hall  would  hold  about  one  thousand,  and  in  the  back 
part  there  was  standing  room  for  a  hundred  persons 
who  could  obtain  admittance  for  two  cents  and  a 
half  apiece.  This  was  filled,  some  of  the  occupants 
being  women  with  children  in  arms.  The  back  row 
of  seats  were  sold  at  five  cents  apiece;  the  second 
row  at  seven  and  one  half  cents  apiece,  and  so  on 
increasing  up  to  the  front  row,  where  I  purchased 
my  seat  at  seventy-five  cents.  The  opera  that  evening 
was  Glinka's  "  Life  for  the  Czar,"  the  music  of  which 
is  of  the  highest  order,  and  the  whole  opera  the  most 
popular  in  Russia.  The  performance  was  by  a  cast 
of  the  best  soloists  of  the  city,  accompanied  by  a  first- 
class  orchestra.  The  enthusiasm  of  the  audience  was 
a  fine  tribute  to  the  musical  education  of  the  masses 
in  Russian  cities. 

It  is  a  long  ride  from  Moscow  to  Rostov  on  the 
Don,  requiring  two  nights  on  a  sleeping  car.  On 
going  to  our  first  meal  in  the  diner,  we  were  seated 
opposite  a  dignified-appearing,  elderly  military  officer 
accompanied  by  a  lady  of  slight  frame  and,  intellect- 
ual countenance,  thirty  or  forty  years  of  age.  In  our 
efforts  to  order  food  from  the  waiter  we  elicited  the 


Third  Visit  to  Europe  363 

sympathy  of  the  lady,  who,  perceiving  our  difficulty, 
asked  us  in  perfect  English  if  she  could  not  render 
assistance,  which  of  course  we  gladly  accepted.  This 
opened  the  way  to  an  acquaintance,  which,  aside  from 
being  most  agreeable,  was  a  revelation  respecting 
Russian  society.  Mrs.  Rubeyny  was  the  wife  of  a 
Cossack  colonel  stationed  at  Askabad  in  Turkestan, 
but  she  had  come  home  to  accompany  her  aged  father 
to  Petrograd  for  an  operation  upon  his  eyes,  with  the 
hope  of  restoring  his  failing  sight.  He  was  the  com- 
missary general  of  the  whole  Caucasus  region,  but  did 
not  understand  English.  This,  however,  did  not 
prevent  his  scrupulous  attendance  upon  our  wants, 
directing  the  waiters  when  he  saw  they  might  be 
neglecting  their  duties.  His  fatherly  interest  in  some 
of  the  young  soldiers  who  were  on  the  train  was  in- 
dicative of  what  I  had  elsewhere  observed  was  char- 
acteristic of  Russian  officers.  Mrs.  Rubeyny  was 
well-read  in  English  Literature  and  was  thoroughly 
informed  in  all  matters  concerning  the  Russian  Em- 
pire, of  which  she  was  a  most  loyal  subject.  In 
passing  through  the  Donnetz  coal  fields,  she  was  able 
to  give  us  all  the  desired  information  as  to  the  qual- 
ity and  quantity  of  the  coal  and  the  difficulties  of 
getting  it  to  market.  She,  like  most  of  the  Rus- 
sian officers  we  met,  was  depressed  by  the  recent  peace 
with  Japan.  "  We  ought  to  have  been  allowed  an- 


364  Story   of  My   Life 

other  campaign.  But,"  she  said,  "  we  are  a  great 
people  and  very  patient."  The  remarkable  intelli- 
gence and  high  character  of  Mrs.  Rubeyny  were  typ- 
ical of  those  of  many  others  whom,  first  and  last,  I 
was  permitted  to  meet  in  Siberia  and  in  European 
Russia. 

At  Rostov  on  the  Don  we  remained  several  days 
for  the  purpose  of  studying  the  loess  deposits  in  the 
vicinity,  which  we  found  to  confirm  our  previous 
observations  indicating  the  agency  of  water  as  well  as  of 
wind  in  its  deposition.  Here  we  were  greatly  furthered 
in  our  plans  by  the  English  consul,  but  especially  by 
Herr  Reidel  (the  German  consul  though  a  Russian  by 
birth),  who  had  visited  America  and  was  now  the 
agent  of  one  of  the  large  companies  in  America  man- 
ufacturing harvesters.  Herr  Reidel  was  very  much 
interested  in  the  archaeology  of  the  region,  and  in  the 
general  evidence  concerning  changes  of  land  level  in 
the  Caucasus  region.  One  day  he  accompanied  us  in 
a  drive  of.  twenty  miles,  northeast,  to  visit  the  ruins 
of  a  Greek  city,  to  which  archaeologists  had  paid  little 
attention.  Its  foundation  dated  back  some  centuries 
before  the  Christian  era;  and  the  piles  of  debris  dis- 
played, around  the  eroded  surfaces,  abundant  frag- 
ments of  vases  and  statuary,  inviting  thorough  ex- 
ploration. But  after  walking  over  these  remains  for 


Third  Visit  to  Europe  365 

an  hour  or  so  we  were  compelled  to  return  to  Ros- 
tov, lest  darkness  should  overtake  us  and  expose  us 

• 

to  robbers  who  were  crawling  about  the  outskirts  of 
the  city.  As  it  was,  however,  darkness  did  over- 
take us.  But  Herr  Reidel  was  well-armed  and  had 
taken  pains  to  have  his  coachman  drive  in  a  separate 
carriage  close  behind  us,  which  evidently  was  all  that 
saved  us  from  an  attempted  robbery  by  a  small  band 
that  stopped  us  on  the  way,  but  wisely  concluded  that 
we  were  too  many  and  too  well-prepared  to  be  suc- 
cessfully waylaid. 

Our  plan  was  to  go  from  Rostov  to  Tiflis  over  the 
Dariel  Pass,  stopping  at  Armavir  to  study  the  extensive 
loess  deposits  to  be  found  in  that  vicinity.  We  had 
heard,  however,  that  the  Caucasus  tribes  were  restless 
and  were  disturbing  trains  and  travelers.  But  Mrs. 
Rubeyny  had  assured  us  that  it  would  be  perfectly  safe 
to  make  the  journey,  "  since,"  she  said,  "  doubtless 
you  do  not  carry  money  with  you  but  a  letter  of 
credit,  so  that  there  will  be  no  temptation  for  high- 
waymen to  rob  you."  The  consuls  at  Rostov,  how- 
ever, advised  us  strongly  against  the  trip,  especially 
as  a  train  had  recently  been  held  up  at  Armavir  and 
shots  interchanged,  by  which  several  were  killed. 
"But,"  we  explained,  "  we  have  a  letter  of  introduc- 
tion from  the  Russian  embassy  at  Washington  to  the 
Governor  General  of  the  Caucasus,  which  certainly 


366  Story  of  My  Life 

will  protect  us."    "  That  is  just  the  thing  that  will  not 

protect  you,"   they  replied,   "  for   it  is  the   Governor 

• 

General  they  are  trying  to  kill."  Whereupon  we 
changed  our  plans  and  proceeded  down  the  Don 
River,  which  for  a  long  distance  wended  its  way 
through  the  countless  river  boats  which  had  come 
with  supplies  of  wheat  and  wool  for  export  to  the 
Western  world. 

After  a  short  stop  at  Tagnarog,  where  steamers  of 
all  nations  receive  their  cargoes  to  be  taken  to  the 
-ends  of  the  world,  we  crossed  the  shallow  Sea  of  Azov, 
and  paused  for  a  day  or  two  at  Kertch,  where  a  fort- 
ress guards  the  narrow  outlet  from  the  Sea  of  Azov 
to  the  Black  Sea.  Here,  too,  is  the  site  of  an  ancient 
Grecian  city,  but  in  this  case  the  ruins  have  been 
extensively  excavated  and  countless  treasures  of  Gre- 
cian art  taken  to  Petrograd.  However,  sufficient  are 
left  to  fill  a  museum  of  great  interest,  while  upon  the 
summit  of  an  overlooking  hill,  where  it  is  reported 
that  Mithridates  was  buried,  public-spirited  Russians 
have  erected  a  temple  in  imitation  of  the  Parthenon, 
which  is  so  like  it  in  shape  and  position  that  one  can 
easily  imagine,  on  entering  the  harbor,  that  he  is  ap- 
proaching Athens  itself.  Some  miles  out  from  the 
city  there  is  an  abandoned  aqueduct,  whose  purpose 
it  is  difficult  to  imagine  from  the  present  lack  of  water 


Third  Visit  to  Europe  367 

supply.  An  extensive  artificial  mound  which  we  vis- 
ited, reminded  us,  in  appearance,  of  that  at  Miamis- 
burgh,  in  Ohio.  On  excavating  it,  it  was  found  that 
the  pile  of  earth  completely  enveloped  a  rock-built  in- 
closure,  drawn  to  a  point  at  the  top,  which  is  almost  a 
duplicate  of  one  at  Mycenae  in  Greece  sacred  to  the 
memory  of  Agamemnon.  For  nearly  two  thousand 
years  this  mound  had  concealed  the  treasures  of  art 
that  had  been  deposited  in  the  inclosure. 

After  pausing  at  Theodosia,  where  a  replica  of  the 
Grecian  temple  at  Kertch  crowned  the  hill  overlook- 
ing the  city,  and  visiting  the  celebrated  gallery  of 
paintings  that  a  public-spirited  citizen  of  fine  taste  had 
furnished  at  great  expense  and  donated  to  the  public, 
we  proceeded  to  the  noted  watering  place  of  Yalta. 
At  Lavidia,  adjoining  it  on  the  west,  the  Czar  has  a 
splendid  palace,  amid  extensive  grounds,  looking  down 
upon  the  blue  surface  of  the  Black  Sea;  while  Yalta 
itself  has  attracted  the  aristocracy  of  the  whole  Em- 
pire, making  it  a  resort  of  unrivalled  interest.  This 
charming  spot  is  surrounded  by  a  semicircle  of  moun- 
tains, several  thousand  feet  in  height,  which  protect 
it  from  northern  winds  and  secure  a  climate  that, 
even  in  winter,  is  very  grateful  to  the  people  of  the 
north.  The  only  approach  to  it  is  by  water  and  by 
a  military  road,  running  westward  along  the  flanks 
of  the  mountains  and  keeping  about  2,OOO  feet  above 


368  Story  of  My  Life 

the  sea  to  Sevastopol,  a  distance  of  sixty  miles.  Over 
this  well-kept  road  we  drove  in  a  private  carriage  in 
a  single  day.  Words  cannot  express  the  charm  of 
that  drive,  as  we  dashed  in  and  out  of  the  recesses  of 
the  winding  roadway,  now  with  the  weird  form  of 
the  cloud-capped  mountains  before  us  and  now  with 
the  picturesque  hamlets  and  private  residences  coming 
to  view  on  the  seashore,  2,000  feet  below  us.  When 
about  two-thirds  of  the  way,  we  stopped  for  dinner 
and  rest  at  the  summit,  where  the  road  leaves  the 
sea;  then,  after  passing  through  the  vale  of  Bidar, 
celebrated  for  its  vineyards,  and  being  driven  down 
the  sloping  fields  where  the  fatal  "  charge  of  the 
six  hundred  "  took  place,  with  Balaclava  on  one  side, 
and  the  Malakoff  on  the  other,  we  entered  Sevasto- 
pol, with  galloping  horses,  some  time  before  the  close 
of  day. 

A  week  at  Sevastopol  is  all  too  short  to  familiarize 
oneself  with  the  objects  of  historical  and  archaeolog- 
ical interest  in  the  city  and  its  environs.  A  commo- 
dious harbor,  protected  by  surrounding  hills,  has 
predestined  it  to  be  for  all  time  a  military  fortress  of 
greatest  value  to  the  Russian  Empire,  while  every  por- 
tion of  the  city  itself  and  the  country  immediately 
surrounding  it  were  made  forever  interesting  by  the 
scenes  attending  its  siege  during  the  Crimean  War. 
Here,  English,  French,  Turkish,  and  Italian  soldiers 


Third  Visit  to  Europe  369 

struggled  in  fierce  and  deadly  conflict  with  Russians 
during  many  long  and  weary  months.  How  strange 
the  combination,  in  view  of  the  alignment  of  forces  in 
the  great  war  which  is  now  convulsing  Europe! 

On  the  promontory  just  west  of  Sevastopol  'are 
the  ruins  of  the  ancient  Greek  city  of  Chersonese, 
which  a  Russian  archaeological  society  has  explored 
with  great  thoroughness,  filling  the  local  museum 
with  innumerable  interesting  objects  of  early  Grecian 
art.  Going  through  the  scenes  of  the  battle  of  Ink- 
erman,  and  about  twenty  miles  beyond,  one  reaches 
Bakhtchi-Sarai,  the  capital  center  of  the  Tartar 
tribes  of  the  Crimea,  near  which  are  large  numbers 
of  the  most  interesting  prehistoric  cells,  dug  into  the 
sides  of  the  mountains  and  occupied  for  ages  by 
monks  of  various  kinds.  Two  or  three  miles  east  of 
Bakhtchi-Sara'i,  on  an  inaccessible  promontory  covered 

with  ancient   ruins,   is  a  settlement  of   Caraite  Jews, 

* 
who  here  maintain  a  theological  school  and  preserve 

ancient  manuscripts  of  great  value.  The  Russian  gov- 
ernment has  greatly  favored  this  Jewish  sect  and  we 
found  in  their  schoolroom,  covered  with  artistic  wood- 
carving,  life-size  portraits  of  the  Czar  and  Czarina, 
which  they  had  presented.  In  the  morning  when  we 
reached  Bakhtchi-Sara'i  the  streets  were  full  of  life 
and  animation,  the  shops  were  all  open,  and  wagons, 


370  Story  of  My  Life 

loaded  with  fruit  and  melons  and  various  other  pro- 
ducts of  the  surrounding  country,  made  the  passage 
through  the  city  slow  and  difficult.  But,  on  our  re- 
turn after  sundown,  we  found  the  streets  deserted, 
and  the  shops  closed ;  and  it  seemed  to  us  that  some- 
thing terrible  had  happened,  foreboding  evil  for  those 
who  passed  through.  But  we  were  comforted  to  learn 
that  it  was  all  due  to  the  strict  habit  of  the  Moslems 
to  close  the  day's  work  at  sundown  and  all  return  to 
the  privacy  of  their  homes. 

SYRIA    AND    PALESTINE 

So  much  is  written  about  Constantinople  that  it  is 
not  worth  while  to  give  details  concerning  our  visit 
there,  except  to  say  that  Robert  College,  Constantin- 
ople College  for  Women,  the  Bible  House,  and  Mrs. 
Marden's  school  are  centers  of  influence  whose  value 
cannot  be  overestimated ;  and  that,  by  a  process  of 
natural  selection,  the  personnel  of  those  carrying  on  the 
work  of  these  institutions  is  raised  to  the  highest  de- 
gree of  efficiency.  One  incident,  however,  is  so  il- 
lustrative of  the  capacity  of  Turkish  officialdom,  that 
we  cannot  refrain  from  mentioning  it.  When  our 
trunk  was  undergoing  inspection  at  the  customhouse 
in  Constantinople,  nothing  attracted  the  attention  of 
the  inspectors  until  they  reached  an  atlas  of  the  world 
which  already  had  a  history.  It  was  a  German  pub- 


Third  Visit  to  Europe  371 

lication  of  high  character,  giving  in  detail  the  physical 
and  political  geography  of  all  nations.  I  had  pur- 
chased it  in  a  bookstore  in  Omsk,  Siberia,  just  as  I 
was  starting,  in  1900,  on  my  tarantass  ride  through 
Turkestan.  On  returning  home  from  that  trip  I  had 
laid  it  aside  in  some  handy  place,  for  consultation,  and 
there  it  had  lain  till  we  were  about  to  start  for  the 
present  trip.  But  at  the  last  moment  I  threw  it  into 
the  trunk,  as  probably  what  we  should  need  for  con- 
sultation in  various  emergencies.  On  finding  this  in 
our  possession,  the  inspector,  after  faithfully  turning 
over  the  leaves,  shook  his  head,  as  though  in  doubt 
what  to  do,  and  passed  it  to  another,  who  did  the 
same.  But  the  third  inspector  knew  just  where  to 
look  for  treasonable  matter,  and,  opening  the  leaves 
at  four  different  places,  proceeded  with  his  penknife 
to  scratch  off  some  objectionable  name,  which  being 
done  he  closed  the  atlas,  threw  it  back  into  the  trunk, 
put  down  the  lid,  and  shoved  it  through  the  lines.  It 
is  needless  to  say  that  at  our  first  opportunity  we 
examined  the  atlas  to  see  what  had  been  done,  and 
found  that  the  word  Armenia  had  been  erased  wher- 
ever it  occurred.  There  were  "  Armenians,"  but 
"  Armenia  "  had  ceased  to  exist.  So  it  was  ruled,  and 
so  it  was  believed  to  be. 

Soon  after,  while  we  were   in   Beirut,   the   Scotch 
engineer  connected  with  the  city  waterworks  told  us 


372  Story   of  My  Life 

an  equally  characteristic  story  of  Turkish  incompre- 
hensibility. Some  part  of  the  engine  which  he  was 
erecting,  and  which  had  been  sent  from  England,  was 
missing,  and  he  went  to  the  office  to  send  a  telegram 
to  have  it  forwarded  immediately.  In  describing  the 
missing  part  he  had  to  say  that  it  must  make  two 
thousand  revolutions  a  minute.  The  Turkish  officials 
were  horrified,  since  one  revolution  was  more  than 
they  could  permit,  and  two  thousand  was  beyond  all 
reason. 

.When  I  had  passed  through  Beirut  in  1900,  I  had 
hoped  to  visit  the  cedars  of  Lebanon,  but  it  was  so 
late  in  the  season  (the  first  of  December)  that  it  was 
impossible,  because  of  the  snow  that  already  enveloped 
the  heights  of  the  mountain  ranges.  But  on  this  visit 
an  unrivalled  opportunity  opened  for  accomplishing 
the  purpose.  Professor  Alfred  E.  Day,  the  accom- 
plished geologist  of  the  Presbyterian  College  at  Beirut, 
was  permitted  to  suspend  his  classes  for  a  week,  to 
conduct  me  over  the  ground  which  had  long  been 
familiar  to  him.  As  we  learned  that  Professor  Ben- 
jamin Bacon,  of  Yale  Theological  Seminary,  was  at 
Sidon  with  George  H.  Driver,  one  of  his  honor  pupils, 
we  sent  them  an  urgent  invitation  to  accompany  us. 
This  they  did,  and  one  of  the  most  enjoyable  and 
profitable  weeks  of  my  life  was  spent  under  the  direc- 


Third  Visit  to  Europe  373 

tion  and  tutorage  of  Professor  Day.  We  were  pro- 
vided with  horses  to  ride,  and  accompanied  by  a 
manager,  who  supplied  tents  and  provisions  for  food 
while  we  worked  our  way  diagonally  along  the  west- 
ern flank  of  the  Lebanon  Mountains,  up  to  the  vast 
amphitheater  (6,000  feet  above  the  sea)  at  the  base 
of  the  highest  peaks  of  the  mountains,  4,000  feet 
higher.  Here  was  a  vast  and  characteristic  terminal 
moraine,  deposited  and  deserted  by  the  ice  thousands 
of  years  before,  on  which  a  grove  of  four  hundred 
magnificent  cedars,  surrounded  by  a  \vall,  are  guarded 
and  protected.  The  natives  undertook  to  unsettle  the 
higher  critical  positions  of  Professor  Bacon  by  assur- 
ing him  that  these  cedars  were  planted  by  Christ 
himself,  quoting  Psalm  civ.  16-17,  where  we  read, 
"  The  trees  of  the  Lord  are  full  of  sap ;  the  cedars  of 
Lebanon,  which  he  hath  planted ;  where  the  birds  make 
their  nests." 

On  the  way  from  Beirut  to  the  cedars,  we  passed 
a  number  of  ruins  where  Greek  and  Roman  inscrip- 
tions were  to  be  seen  upon  the  walls  and  fallen  pil- 
lars. To  the  traveler  who  has  made  the  diagonal 
journey  from  Beirut  to  the  cedars,  memory  fills  in 
innumerable  details  which  are  concealed  from  vision 
at  any  one  time.  He  has  crossed  Nahr  el-Kelb  ("  Dog 
River"),  near  its  mouth,  where  he  has  seen  Egyptian 
and  Assyrian  inscriptions  dating  from  the  time  of 


374  Story  of  My  Life 

Sennacherib's  invasion.  Ascending  this  river,  after 
passing  numerous  villages  surrounded  by  mulberry  and 
olive  groves,  vineyards,  and  fields  of  wheat,  and  paus- 
ing to  study  the  ruins  of  a  temple  dating  from  Roman 
times,  and  having  crossed  a  natural  bridge  at  Jisr  el- 
Hagar  with  a  span  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet, 
rising  seventy-five  feet  above  the  stream,  he  arrives,  at 
the  end  of  the  second  day,  at  the  ruins  of  the  famous 
temple  of  Venus  destroyed  by  the  order  of  Constantine 
on  account  of  the  impurity  of  the  rites  celebrated  in  it. 
Here,  too,  is  a  famous  spring,  typical  of  many  others 
which  gush  forth  on  either  side  of  the  Lebanon  range 
from  beneath  the  thick  deposits  of  limestone  which 
everywhere  crown  its  summit.  The  flow  of  water  is 
enormous,  and  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year  is  colored 
red  with  a  mineral  matter,  which  the  ancients  regarded 
with  mysterious  reverence.  The  lower  part  of  the 
amphitheater  is  covered  with  verdure  and  a  scanty 
growth  of  pine  and  walnut  trees,  but  the  upper  part 
merges  in  the  barren  cliffs  which  lie  above  the  snow 
line.  Onward,  alternately  through  upturned  limestone 
strata,  left  by  erosion  in  fantastic  forms,  and  through 
barren  areas  of  red  sandstone,  where  the  cedars  of  Le- 
banon would  flourish  if  protected  from  the  depreda- 
tions of  man  and  his  domestic  animals,  he  crosses  by 
turns  at  higher  and  higher  levels  the  headwaters  of 
the  Ibrahim,  Fedar,  Jozeh,  Byblus,  and  Botrys  rivers, 


Third  Visit  to  Europe  375 

and  at  length  reaches,  on  the  fourth  day,  the  Kadisha, 
five  miles  below  the  cedars  of  Lebanon. 

Ascending  the  summit  of  Lebanon,  to  the  east  of 
the  cedars,  we  find  ourselves  in  the  midst  of  snow 
fields  which  never  melt  away.  But  here  there  bursts 
upon  us,  to  the  east,  the  Anti-Lebanon  range  of  moun- 
tains, rising  on  the  other  side  of  Coele-Syria,  a  valley 
a  few  miles  wide  forming  the  continuation  of  the  great 
Jordan  fault  and  containing,  almost  at  our  feet,  the 
marvellous  ruins  of  Baalbek.  But  on  descending  the 
precipitous  pathway  we  find  extensive  ruins,  far  older 
than  those  of  Baalbek,  going  back  even  to  pre-Mosaic 
times,  and  representing  the  religious  culture  of  the 
original  inhabitants  of  Syria  and  Palestine.  Dusty 
and  weary  with  our  travels,  we  were  joined  at  Baal- 
bek by  Mrs.  Wright  and  Mrs.  George  Doolittle,  who, 
with  her  husband,  was  engaged  in  missionary  work  a 
few  miles  away  at  Zahleh,  at  the  eastern  base  of  the 
Lebanon  range.  With  them  and  Mr.  Driver  we  spent 
two  days  in  Damascus,  when  we  returned  to  the  Doo- 
little home,  where  Mrs.  Wright  had  been  entertained 
during  the  week  of  our  trip  to  the  cedars. 

We  have  space  to  note  but  two  or  three  things  in 
connection  with  this  mission  station.  As  one  looks 
down  upon  the  city  from  the  Doolittle  home,  one's  at- 
tention is  attracted  by  a  large  number  of  red-tile  roofs, 
which-  we  were  informed  were  for  the  most  part  resi- 


376  Story  of  My  Life 

dences  of  Syrians  who  had  been  to  America  and  ac- 
cumulated sufficient  fortune  to  come  home  and  live  in 
style  among  their  former  companions.  The  city,  also, 
like  many  other  places  in  the  Lebanon  Mountains,  is 
a  favorite  summer  resort  for  Egyptian  families  who 
are  unable  to  endure  the  monotony  of  the  climate  in 
the  delta.  • 

A  side  light  upon  Syrian  life  is  illustrated  by  an 
incident  which  reminds  one  of  what  we  have  already 
said  about  the  robber  and  beggar  trusts  in  China. 
As  we  were  at  the  station  at  Zahleh,  awaiting  a  train, 
a  disreputable  looking,  one-legged  man  circled  around 
us  at  a  respectful  distance;  but,  to  my  surprise,  he 
did  not  stretch  out  his  palm  for  baksheesh,  or  alms. 
The  reason  for  his  good  behavior  we  afterwards  learned 
was,  that  Mr.  Doolittle  paid  him  a  beshlik  (about 
eleven  cents)  a  month  not  to  beg  from  his  friends. 
Mrs.  Wright  informed  me  that,  during  her  stay  at 
Zahleh,  this  one-legged  beggar  hobbled  all  the  way  up 
the  hill,  a  mile  long,  to  receive  his  monthly  stipend. 

After  leaving  Beirut,  the  few  hours  we  spent  at 
Jaffa,  on  the  way  to  Egypt,  are  memorable  for  the 
privilege  we  had  there  of  meeting  again  my  old  friend 
Selah  Merrill,  who  was  still  consul  at  Jerusalem,  but 
in  broken  health,  and  was  spending  a  few  days  at 
Jaffa  to  recuperate.  We  found  him  and  his  wife  (an 


Third  Visit  to  Europe  377 

old  friend  of  Andover  days)  quietly  spending  their 
vacation  upon  a  housetop,  surrounded  with  manu- 
scripts and  photographs  of  an  extensive  volume  which 
he  was  soon  to  publish  upon  Jerusalem.  From  no 
other  place  could  we  have  received  such  an  impression 
of  the  abruptness  of  the  escarpment  of  the  Judean 
plateau,  which  rises  but  a  few  miles  back  from  the 
sea.  Beth  Horon  and  Aijalon,  where,  in  the  midst  of 
a  destructive  hailstorm,  the  sun  was  obscured  long 
enough  for  Joshua  to  annihilate  the  army  of  the  five 
Amorite  kings,  were  near  enough  to  enable  us  to  distin- 
guish the  promontories  and  mountain  gorges  in  which 
the  Amorites  were  entrapped.  Palestine  itself  was 
surrounded  by  natural  walls,  far  more  effective  for  de- 
fense than  those  built  around  China  by  the  Mongols. 
Lower  Egypt  must  be  passed  with  a  simple  refer- 
ence to  the  trip  to  Suez  for  the  purpose  of  verifying 
the  theory,  already  entertained  during  the  previous 
visit  with  my  son,  that  the  place  where  the  Children 
of  Israel  crossed  the  "  Red  Sea  "  was  just  to  the  south 
of  the  Bitter  Lakes,  from  ten  to  twelve  miles  north 
of  the  present  Gulf  of  Suez.  More  perfectly  to  assure 
myself  of  the  situation,  we  engaged  a  Mohammedan 
guide,  who  provided  a  small  boat  to  be  hauled  by  a 
mule  through  the  entire  length  of  the  fresh-water 
canal,  to  the  head  of  the  Bitter  Lakes.  Everything 
confirmed  the  theory.  Here  was  a  plain,  sufficiently 


378  Story  of  My  Life 

large  to  accommodate  the  hosts  of  Israel,  protected  by 
a  narrow  passage  between  the  lakes  and  the  desert 
plateau  stretching  out  from  Jebel  Geneffeh,  where 
doubtless  at  the  time  of  the  Exodus  the  land  was  de- 
pressed sufficiently  to  permit  a  narrow  arm  of  the  sea 
a  few  feet  in  depth,  extending  from  the  Gulf  of  Suez 
to  the  Bitter  Lakes,  to  intervene  between  the  Israelites 
and  the  Asiatic  shore.  The  situation  was  one  in  which 
it  was  easy  to  see  that  the  strong  east  wind  spoken  of 
in  the  Bible  would  lower  the  water  sufficiently  to  per- 
mit the  passage  of  the  Israelites.  So  perfect  is  the 
conformity  of  the  physical  facts  in  this  region  to  the 
conditions  involved  in  the  Biblical  account,  that  no 
one  who  adequately  understands  them  can  doubt  the 
truthfulness  of  the  Bible  story. 

Sailing  from  Alexandria,  we  stopped  at  Messina, 
sufficiently  long  to  see  enough  of  the  city  and  its  situa- 
tion to  be  especially  impressed  and  shocked  by  the  de- 
vastation of  the  earthquake  that  occurred  soon  after. 
It  is  needless  to  dwell  upon  incidents  connected  with 
our  visit  to  Naples,  Rome,  and  Florence,  from  which 
latter  city,  passing  through  Milan,  we  entered  Switz- 
erland through  the  Simplon  Pass,  and  made  our  way 
nortrnvard  through  eastern  France  (where  now  the 
horrible  scenes  of  war  are  being  enacted),  to  Calaib 
without  visiting  Paris.  Thence  we  went  to  London 


Third  Visit  to  Europe  379 

for  a  few  weeks'  stay  before  returning  to  America  for 
me  to  take  up  the  regular  routine  of  my  work. 

SCIENTIFIC    CONFIRMATIONS    OF    OLD   TESTAMENT 
HISTORY 

In  1904  I  was  invited  to  give  the  Stone  Lectures  at 
Princeton  Theological  Seminary.  The  subject  cho.en 
was  "  Scientific  Confirmations  of  Old  Testament  His- 
tory." Two  years  later,  with  the  information  gathered 
in  my  third  visit  to  Europe,  I  rewrote  and  prepared 
them  for  publication.  The  book  was  issued  by  the 
Bibliotheca  Sacra  Company,  in  1906.  In  this  volume 
the  general  authenticity  of  the  history  found  in  the 
Old  Testament  is  supported  by  the  circumstantial  evi- 
dence which  is  supplied  by  an  examination  of  the 
physical  conditions  involved  in  a  number  of  occur- 
rences, reported  in  the  Old  Testament,  which  seem 
at  first  sight  very  improbable.  The  object  of  the  book 
is  to  show  that  the  setting  of  these  occurrences  among 
complicated  physical  conditions,  about  which  little  was 
known  in  ancient  times,  but  upon  which  modern 
science  sheds  a  flood  of  light,  is  so  perfect  that  the 
stories  could  not  have  been  invented,  nor  could  they 
have  been  materially  enlarged  by  legendary  accretions, 
as  these  would  certainly  have  introduced  incongruous 
elements. 

The  book  received  cordial  recognition  from  the  high- 


380  Story  of  My  Life 

est  sources.  A  translation  of  it  was  made  into  Dutch, 
accompanied  by  a  commendatory  introduction  by  Dr. 
A.  Kuyper.  An  edition  was  immediately  sold  in  Eng- 
land, while  Dr.  Koenig  of  Bonn  gave  it  a  very  favor- 
able review,  and  Professor  George  Macloskie  of 
Princeton  wrote  in  the  Princeton  Review,  "  This 
volume  bids  fair  to  be  recognized  as  the  standard 
work  on  the  important  subject  of  Pentateuchal  phy- 
sics," while  the  Expository  Times  said,  "  For  a  long 
time  to  come  every  one  who  has  to  write  upon  the  Del- 
uge, or  touch  that  wider  subject  of  the  attitude  of  the 
Old  Testament  to  the  phenomena  of  nature,  will  re- 
quire to  know  what  is  written  in  this  book."  A  third 
edition,  with  slight  additions,  was  issued  in  1913,  and 
the  sales  are  continuing  in  undiminished  numbers  up  to 
the  present  time.  Like  "  The  Ice  Age  in  North 
America,"  the  volume  deals  so  directly  with  facts  of 
which  I  have  personal  cognizance,  that  there  will  be 
little  need  of  modifying  conclusions  for  a  long  time 
to  come. 

In  the  publication  of  this  book  I  was  in  danger  of 
being  misunderstood  by  both  conservatives  and  radi- 
cals. On  the  one  hand,  there  was  danger  that  the 
conservatives  would  charge  me  with  totally  discredit- 
ing miracles.  I  was  therefore  much  relieved  to  find 
so  staunch  a  conservative  as  Dr.  Kuyper,  in  his  intro- 
duction* to  a  Dutch  translation,  writing  as  follows: — 


Third  Visit  to  Europe  381 

"  It  is  hoped  that  no  offense  will  be  taken  at  the 
attempt  of  Dr.  Wright  to  make  clear  the  passing  of 
the  Jews  through  the  Red  Sea,  and  through  the  Jor- 
dan, by  invoking  the  aid  of  irregular  operations  of 
nature.  The  belief  in  God's  wonderful  might  does 
not  require  that  in  explanation  of  the  wonders  we 
should  exclude  the  operations  of  nature  which  would 
have  taken  place  in  any  event. 

"  When  I  say  that,  even  if  Ahab  and  Elijah  had 
not  existed,  a  fire  would  still  have  fallen  down  at  the 
same  moment  and  on  the  same  place  where  Elijah's 
sacrifice  was  offered,  I  do  not  say  that  it  was  not  a 
wonder.  The  objective  as  well  as  the  subjective  won- 
der exists.  The  objective  wonder  is  the  falling  down 
of  the  fire  just  on  the  same  place  and  at  the  same  mo- 
ment of  the  historical  event.  The  subjective  wonder 
is  that  Elijah  without  knowing  anything  of  the  posi- 
tion of  affairs  in  nature  dared  supplicate  for  it  and  had 
faith  to  believe  that  the  fire  would  come. 

"  In  this  way  Dr.  Wright  writes  about  some  of  the 
great  wonders  in  the  history  of  Israel.  I  dare  not  say 
that  he  always  has  taken  the  right  view  of  what  hap- 
pened, but  even  if  in  a  single  instance  he  might  be 
mistaken  I  still  praise  his  endeavors  to  connect  won- 
ders in  the  history  with  the  course  of  the  operations 
of  nature.  That  his  own  belief  in  the  wonders  does 
not  waver,  he  states  on  more  than  one  page." 


382  Story  of  My  Life 

Prominent  among  the  miracles  which  I  specially 
treated  in  these  lectures  are  the  crossing  of  the  Red 
Sea,  the  parting  of  Jordan,  the  destruction  of  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah,  and  the  Noachian  Deluge,  which  is 
thought  to  be  connected  with  the  changes  of  land  level 
accompanying  the  Glacial  epoch.  In  all  these  cas°s 
and  in  many  more  which  might  be  considered,  the 
phenomena  are  those  connected  with  the  special  di- 
rection of  secondary  causes.  The  events  are  narrated 
in  a  direct  historical  manner.  To  the  historian,  the 
question  is  not  whether  they  are  miraculous  but 
whether  the  narratives  are  true.  The  agency  of  the 
divine  element  is  a  subsidiary  question ;  but  the  divine 
agency  is  by  no  means  ruled  out  by  the  discovery  of 
the  means  through  which  God  accomplishes  his  de- 
sign. The  famous  law  of  parsimony  may  be  used  in 
interpreting  divine  actions  even  better  than  in  inter- 
preting human  actions.  This  law,  known  from  the 
fourteenth  century  as  Occam's  razor,  is  variously 
stated.  Its  essence  is  contained  in  the  following  ex- 
pressions: "Assign  no  other  causes  than  suffice  to 
account  for  the  phenomena."  "  Nature  knows  no 
waste."  All  that  is  necessary  to  constitute  a  miracle 
is,  to  show  that  the  use  of  secondary  causes  is  on  such 
a  scale  and  of  such  a  character  as  clearly  to  reveal  a 
power  over  nature  which  is  nothing  less  than  divine. 
With  reference  to  the  wind  which,  according  to  the 


Third  Visit  to  Europe  383 

Bible  account,  was  the  secondary  cause  of  opening  the 
Red  Sea  before  the  advancing  hosts  of  Israel  and  clos- 
ing its  waters  to  the  pursuing  Egyptian  army,  we  do 
not  necessarily  suppose,  in  order  to  make  the  event  mir- 
aculous, that  they  were  produced  out  of  the  ordinary 
course  of  nature,  though  such  a  supposition  is  by  no 
means  absurd.  It  is  as  easy  for  the  Lord  to  produce  a 
hurricane  as  it  is  for  a  housewife  to  produce  a  wind 
sufficient  to  blow  the  dust  from  her  mantel.  God  is 
no  less  a  free  agent  in  the  use  of  nature's  forces  than 
is  man.  Man,  certainly,  does  in  innumerable  ways 
make  new  combinations,  producing  effects  which  were 
not  originally  incorporated  in  the  forces  of  nature. 

In  1907,  according  to  the  rules  of  the  college,  I  was 
placed  upon  the  retired  list  and  given  the  Carnegie 
Pension,  which,  though  much  less  than  my  regular 
salary  had  been,  was  sufficient  to  give  me  reasonable 
support,  and  allow  me  to  devote  my  attention  to  the 
completion  of  my  literary  plans.  The  first  th'ng 
undertaken  was  the  preparation  of  a  fifth  edition  of 
the  "  Ice  Age  in  North  America."  The  task  of  such 
a  work  will  be  better  appreciated  by  referring  again 
to  the  fact,  that  thirty  closely  printed  pages  were  re- 
quired to  simply  enumerate  the  articles  which  had 
appeared  in  scientific  journals  since  the  first  edition 
was  published. 


384  Story  of  My  Life 


CHAPTER   XIII 

FOURTH  VISIT  TO  EUROPE 

THE  autumn  and  winter  of  1907  and  1908  were 
spent  in  another  visit  to  Europe,  in  which,  landing  at 
Antwerp,  we  reveled  for  a  week  amid  the  art  treas- 
ures of  that  interesting  city,  and  then  visited  Holland 
and  Brussels,  from  which  trips  were  made  on  the  one 
hand  to  Bruges  and  on  the  other  to  Waterloo.  Thence 
we  went  to  Paris,  where,  among  other  privileges,  was 
that  of  meeting  Salomon  Reinach  in  the  great  museum, 
of  which  he  is  the  director,  in  Saint-Germain-en-Laye 
and  discussing  with  him  the  character  and  age  of  the 
palaeolithic  implements  found  in  northern  France. 
By  him  I  was  given  an  introduction  to  M.  Commoit, 
principal  of  the  schools  in  Amiens,  whose  collection  o! 
palaeoliths  from  the  gravels  of  that  vicinity  is  larger 
than  that  of  all  others  put  together.  So  carefully  has 
he  made  his  collection,  that  he  is  able  to  classify  them 
into  lower  and  higher,  according  to  their  occurrence 
in  different  elevations  of  the  bank,  and  to  compare 
their  relative  stages  of  culture.  His  publications  upon 
the  subject  are  of  the  highest  value.  It  was  a  privilege 
to  visit  again  the  gravel  pits  of  this  celebrated  locality, 


Fourth    Visit   to   Europe  385 

under  the  guidance  of  such  an  authority,  and  at  the 
same  time  it  was  a  surprise  to  see  the  extent  to  which 
the  gravels  had  been  excavated  without  exhausting  the 
supply  of  palaeoliths.  Still,  in  view  of  the  facts  about 
the  rapid  accumulation  of  river  gravel  during  the  ex- 
ceptional conditions  of  the  Glacial  epoch,  one  may  well 
hesitate  to  assign  them  to  the  extreme  antiquity  de- 
manded by  many  of  the  European  archaeologists.  The 
question  of  age  will  be  found  discussed  in  my  later 
volume  "  Origin  and  Antiquity  of  Man,"  to  which 
the  reader  is  referred. 

One  object  which  I  kept  in  view  was  to  visit  the 
localities  in  northern  France  and  southern  England 
where  Professor  Joseph  Prestwich  (one  of  the  ablest 
geologists  and  most  painstaking  observers  of  England) 
supposed  that  he  had  found  evidence  of  an  extensive 
but  brief  subsidence  of  the  region,  followed  by  a  sud- 
den emergence  of  the  land  from  the  water,  producing 
the  deposits  referred  to  as  "  rubble  drift "  or  "head." 
The  classic  localities  for  the  study  of  these  deposits 
are  Sangatte,  France,  a  few  miles  west  of  Calais,  and 
Brighton,  England,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Chan- 
nel. These  places  I  visited,  and  studied  with  consid- 
erable care,  not  with  the  expectation  that  I  could  add 
anything  to  the  very  careful  descriptions  given  by  Pro- 
fessor Prestwich,  but  to  see  with  my  own  eyes  these 


386  Story  of  My  Life 

remarkable  and  puzzling  phenomena  upon  which  he 
has  based  his  startling  inferences.  As  clearly  and 
briefly  as  I  can  state  the  facts  they  are  as  follows: 

Both  at  Sangatte  and  at  Brighton,  there  appears, 
ten  to  fifteen  feet  above  the  present  sea  level,  an  ele- 
vated beach  consisting  of  a  stratum  of  well-worn  peb- 
bles. But  overlying  this  beach  there  is  a  deposit  of 
coarse,  irregularly  stratified  material,  with  a  thickness 
at  Sangatte  of  forty  feet  and  at  Brighton  of  fully  eighty 
feet.  This  is  what  is  called  rubble  drift.  Near  the 
base  of  this  rubble  drift,  on  both  sides  of  the  Channel, 
there  have  been  found  a  few  palaeolithic  implements, 
and  numerous  mammalian  remains  characteristic  of 
Post-Tertiary  time,  among  them  those  of  species  of 
elephant,  rhinoceros,  reindeer,  hippopotamus,  horse, 
hog,  and  ox. 

This  rubble  drift  is  evidently  not  a  deposit  of  run- 
ning water,  but  shows  clear  marks,  in  some  places,  of 
rapid  and  tumultuous  accumulation,  while  in  other 
places  there  is  seen  the  fine  lamination  produced  by 
tranquil  water  action  and  deposition.  Both  at  San- 
gatte and  Brighton  large  blocks  of  rock  with  angles 
but  slightly  worn  appear  at  irregular  intervals  in  the 
drift.  One  of  these  at  Brighton,  measured  by  Pro- 
fessor Prestwich,  was  8  by  2  by  2  feet.  The  material 
in  this  rubble  drift  is  all  of  local  origin,  and  is  de- 
rived from  the  immediate  vicinity.  At  Sangatte,  the 


Fourth  Visit  to  Europe  387 

highland  from  which  the  material  in  the  rubble  drift 
had  been  derived  lies  to  the  south  and  west,  while  in 
Brighton  the  highland  furnishing  the  material  lies  to 
the  north  and  east.  This  would  make  it  difficult  to 
explain  as  a  glacial  deposit,  as  some  have  surmised. 
Furthermore,  no  scratched  stones  have  been  observed 
in  it.  In  many  other  localities  in  which  Professor 
Prestwich  has  found  the  same  class  of  deposits,  it  is 
found  to  be  distributed  in  all  directions  from  a  central 
elevation,  but  not  in  deltas,  as  would  be  the  case  if 
it  were  deposited  by  a  running  stream  of  water.  In 
the  Jersey  Islands,  which  I  also  visited,  this  drift 
had  been  carried  over  a  very  low  gradient,  a  long 
distance  from  its  source. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  these  facts  present  a  very 
puzzling  problem.  After  eliminating  all  other  causes, 
as  insufficient  to  account  for  all  the  phenomena,  Pro- 
fessor Prestwich  presents  what  he  believes  is  the  only 
sufficient  explanation.  He  believes  that  all  the  phe- 
nomena can  be  accounted  for  only  by  supposing  that 
after  a  continental  subsidence  which  had  submerged 
the  region  to  the  extent  of  several  hundred  feet,  the 
land  was  suddenly  reelevated  by  a  series  of  violent 
earthquake  shocks,  like  that  which  brought  the  tidal 
wave  into  Lisbon  in  1755,  or  like  that  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, in  which  the  instantaneous  vertical  movement 
was  ten  feet,  or  that  on  the  Alaskan  coast  in  1899, 


388  Story  of  My  Life 

where  the  paroxysmal  elevation  was  from  thirty  to 
forty  feet.  Such  a  series  of  sudden  elevations  would 
be  sufficient  to  produce  a  current,  in  all  directions  from 
the  higher  elevations,  of  sufficient  force  and  character 
to  account  for  all  the  facts.  I  have  been  unable  to  de- 
tect any  flaw  in  Prestwich's  reasoning,  and  have 
ventured  to  introduce  it  as  part  of  the  evidence  in  sup- 
port of  a  postglacial  deluge  causing  widespread  de- 
struction both  of  man  and  animals  throughout  western 
Europe,  and  so  indirectly  supporting  the  story  of  the 
Deluge  as  told  in  the  Bible.1 

While  in  England  during  the  winter  following, 
numerous  opportunities  were  afforded  to  lecture  upon 
the  archaeological  relations  of  the  Glacial  epoch.  The 
most  of  these  were  delivered  in  London,  where,  also, 
a  paper  was  read  before  the  Geological  Society.  One 
invitation,  also,  came  from  Cambridge,  where  I  was 
cordially  received  by  Professors  Hughes  and  Marr, 
and  where  I  had  the  opportunity  of  meeting  the  Lewis 
sisters,  whose  discovery  of  the  early  Syrian  manuscript 
of  the  New  Testament  on  Mount  Sinai  created  such 
a  sensation  in  the  scholarly  world,  and  of  the  results 
of  which  I  had  made  considerable  use  in  my  lectures 
on  the  "  Scientific  Aspects  of  Christian  Evidences." 
But  at  Cardiff,  in  the  lecture  which  I  gave  before  the 
Natural  History  Society,  including  most  of  the  Uni- 


Fourth    Visit   to    Europe  389 

versity  professors,  I  was  able  to  put  in  shape  a  theory 
which  had  been  cherished  ever  since  my  visit  to  Cen- 
tral Asia.  This,  which  I  have  already  partially  out- 
lined, was  that  the  influence  of  the  Glacial  epoch  in 
Central  Asia  was  the  predominant  factor  both  in  'de- 
veloping and  in  dispersing  the  human  race.  It  was 
during  the  climax  of  the  Glacial  epoch  that  condi- 
tions were  most  favorable  to  life  in  the  vast  oases  of 
Central  Asia,  irrigated  by  the  streams  which  came 
down  from  the  glacier-covered  mountain  masses  of  the 
region ;  while  it  was  the  elevation  of  land  all  over  the 
Northern  Hemisphere  at  that  time  which  favored  the 
dispersion  both  of  man  and  of  the  animals  originating 
with  him  in  the  same  region.  At  the  same  time,  dur- 
ing the  closing  stages  of  the  Glacial  epoch,  while  the 
habitable  oases  of  Central  Asia  were  rapidly  contract- 
ing by  reason  of  the  diminished  water  supply,  the  fair- 
est fields  of  Europe,  which  had  been  overborne  by 
glacial  ice,  were  being  relieved  of  their  glacial  en- 
velope and  were  inviting  that  westward  movement  of 
population  which  is  even  now  going  on  into  the  gla- 
ciated areas  of  the  United  States  and  Canada. 

On  returning  to  America,  I  set  to  work  at  the  task 
of  rewriting  in  the  light  of  all  subsequent  observations 
the  Lowell  Institute  Lectures  on  the  "  Orig'n  and 
Antiquity  of  Man,"  which  I  had  given  in  Boston 


390  Story  of  My  Life 

twenty  years  before.  A  portion  of  these  lectures  had 
been  enlarged  and  embodied  in  "  Man  and  the  Glacial 
Period,"  published  in  1892  in  the  International  Scien- 
tific Series.  But  in  "  Origin  and  Antiquity  of  Man  " 
I  endeavored  to  present  and  properly  estimate  the  evi- 
dence coming  from  every  quarter,  treating  in  successive 
chapters  of  Methods  of  Scientific  Approach;  the  His- 
torical Evidence;  the  Linguistic  Argument;  Origin  of 
the  Races  of  Europe;  Origin  and  Antiquity  of  the 
American  Indian;  Significance  of  the  Glacial  Epoch; 
Man  in  the  Glacial  Epoch;  Man  and  the  Lava  Beds 
of  the  Pacific  Coast;  Remains  of  Glacial  Man  in  Eu- 
rope; Supposed  Evidence  of  Tertiary  Man;  Glacial 
Man  in  Central  Asia;  the  Physiological  Argument; 
the  Psychological  Argument;  the  Biblical  Scheme; 
Summary  and  Conclusion,  in  which  emphasis  is  laid 
upon  the  fact,  that  the  theory  of  evolution  by  a  uni- 
form and  gradual  process  is  contradicted  by  innumer- 
able facts  and  cannot  be  made  a  basis  for  estimating 
the  length  either  of  geologic  or  of  historic  time.  So 
far  as  we  have  evidence,  palaeolithic  man  had  a  bniin 
equal  in  size  to  that  of  modern  man,  while  the  intel- 
lectual qualities  which  he  displayed  \\ere  such  as  com- 
pare favorably  with  those  which  modern  man  possesses. 
Evidence,  which  it  is  well-nigh  criminal  for  anyone 
now  to  neglect,  is  adduced  concerning  the  recency  of 
the  Glacial  epoch  and  the  abnormal  conditions  con- 


Fourth  Visit  to  Europe  391 

nected  with  it,  which  render  of  no  value  the  arguments 
for  the  extreme  antiquity  of  man  asserted  by  many 
who  assume  to  be  authorities  upon  the  subject.  The 
changes  in  the  glaciers  of  Alaska  during  the  last  thirty 
years  are  greater  than  those  in  the  glaciers  of  the  Alps, 
which  German  authorities  assume  to  require  15,000 
years  and  proceed  to  make  the  basis  of  their  chron- 
ology; while  Baron  de  Geer  and  Professor  Hoist  have 
demonstrated  that  glacial  ice  did  not  disappear  from 
southern  Sweden  until  about  7,000  years  ago. 


392  Story  of  My  Life 


CHAPTER   XIV 

EDITORIAL  WORK 

AMONG  the  important  responsibilities  which  Provi- 
dence has  thrown  upon  me,  is  the  editorial  work  con- 
nected with  the  Bibliotheca  Sacra  and  the  Records  of 
the  Past.  Professor  Edwards  A.  Park  of  Andover 
was  known  to  say  that  the  two  things  in  which  his 
success  in  life  was  most  evident  were  the  editing  of 
the  Bibliotheca  Sacra  and  the  Sabbath  Hymnbook. 
In  1844  the  Bibliotheca  Sacra  was  founded  in  An- 
dover, Massachusetts,  under  the  editorship  of  Profes- 
sors Bela  B.  Edwards  and  Edwards  A.  Park,  with 
the  special  cooperation  of  Dr.  Edward  Robinson  and 
Professor  Moses  Stuart.  Professor  Park  continued 
as  its  principal  editor  until  the  close  of  its  fortieth 
volume  in  1883,  since  which  I  have  been  its  leading 
editor.  Thus  this  Quarterly  has  had  a  longer  con- 
tinued existence  than  any  other  in  America.  From 
the  beginning  the  aim  of  the  editors  has  been  to  publish 
articles  of  permanent  value  only,  and  by  following 
this  policy  it  has  become  one  of  the  most  important 
repositories  of  theological  material  in  existence. 

The  circumstances  which  threw  upon  me  a  leading 


Editorial  Work  393 

part  in  the  perpetuation  of  the  Quarterly  are  of  suf- 
ficient interest  to  warrant  a  somewhat  detailed  state- 
ment of  facts.  As  already  said,  I  had  become,  soon 
after  settling  in  Andover,  a  prominent  contributor  to 
its  pages.  For  the  most  part  my  contributions  during 
this  period  were  related  to  the  theological  questions 
raised  by  the  prevalence  of  Darwinism.  Soon  after 
my  removal  to  Oberlin.  in  1881  occurred  the  great 
theological  convulsion  at  Andover  known  as  the  "  New 
Departure,"  the  essence  of  which  was  that  some  of 
the  professors  claimed  the  right  of  holding  their  posi- 
tions and  keeping  their  salaries  while  teaching  doc- 
trines that  were  in  positive  contradiction  to  the  creed 
which  they  specifically  signed  on  entering,  and  re-signed 
thereafter  every  five  years.  The  specific  point  which 
came  before  the  public  was  that  of  the  future  probation 
of  the  heathen,  a  doctrine  which  was  categorically 
denied  in  the  Andover  Creed.  And  here  it  should  be 
noted  that  the  signatories  to  the  Andover  Creed  were 
not  let  off  like  those  to  the  Westminster  Confession, 
by  assenting  to  it  for  "  substance  of  doctrine,"  but 
prefixed  every  section  of  the  Creed  with,  "  I  believe." 
Soon  after  the  outbreak  of  this  revolution,  Profes- 
sors Henry  M.  Thayer  and  Charles  M.  Mead  resigned 
their  chairs  rather  than  be  implicated  in  the  mani- 
fest dishonesty.  The  remaining  members  of  the  revo- 
lutionary party  proposed  the  publication  of  "an  organ 


394  Story  of  My  Life 

called  the  Andover  Review.  Without  consulting  with 
the  editor,  Professor  Park,  or  Mr.  Draper,  the  pub- 
lisher, they  proceeded  to  advertise  their  review  ex- 
tensively, and  in  due  time  launched  it  upon  the  public, 
evidently  expecting  that  it  would  undermine  the 
Bibliotheca  Sacra  so  that  its  subscription  list  would 
fall  into  their  hands.  But  their  expectations  were  not 
realized.  On  the  contrary,  -the  result  was  that  in 
1883,  at  the  beginning  of  the  forty-first  volume,  the 
Bibliotheca  Sacra  was  removed  to  Oberlin  to  be  con- 
ducted by  an  editorial  board  consisting  of  G.  P'rederick 
Wright,  Judson  Smith,  and  W.  G.  Ballantine  with 
"Edwards  A.  Park,  W.  M.  Barbour,  E.  C.  Bissell, 
F.  B.  Denio,  C.  F.  Thwing,  D.  W.  Simon,  and 
Archibald  Duff  Associate  Editors."  I  had  for  two 
years  already  been  one  of  the  associate  editors.  The 
outcome  of  it  all  was,  that  after  three  or  four  years 
the  Andover  Review  was  discontinued,  while  Biblio- 
theca Sacra  has  continued,  up  to  the  present  time,  to 
command  a  constituency  sufficient  for  its  support  with- 
out the  aid  of  any  endowment  or  subsidy. 

5 

While  the  editorial  staff  has  changed  more  or  less 
from  time  to  time,  I  have  been  the  one  who  has  suc- 
ceeded in  giving  the  magazine  its  continuity.  When 
Judson  Smith  was  appointed  secretary  of  the  American 
Board,  his  removal  from  Oberlin  and  assumption  of 


Editorial  Work  395 

other  duties  naturally  led  to  his  resignation.  Profes- 
sor Frank  H.  Foster,  Professor  Smith's  successor  in 
the  chair  of  Church  History,  naturally  took  his  place 
on  the  editorial  staff.  Some  years  later,  when  Pro- 
fessor Ballantine  was  elected  President  of  Oberlin 
College,  and  Professor  Foster  was  called  to  Pacific 
Theological  Seminary,  they  both  resigned;  and  Mr. 
Z.  Swift  Holbrook,  at  once  an  enterprising  business 
man,  a  sound  theologian,  and  an  ardent  promoter  of 
sensible  views  of  Christian  sociology,  joined  me  in  the 
purchase  of  the  magazine  from  Mr.  E.  J.  Goodrich, 
the  former  Oberlin  publisher.  Mr.  Holbrook's  busi- 
ness ability  gave  a  new  impulse  to  the  publication, 
which  it  has  felt  ever  since.  But  on  his  removal  by 
death  the  whole  responsibility  fell  on  me,  and  since 
1900  I  have  been  the  sole  responsible  editor.  Various 
efforts  were  made  at  different  times  to  induce  me  to 
consent  to  a  popularization  of  the  magazine.  At  one 
time  it  was  proposed  to  make  it  an  organ  of  Oberlin 
affairs.  At  other  times  it  was  proposed  to  make  it  a 
monthly,  and  to  give  it  a  more  popular  character;  but 
fortunately  I  have  been  able  successfully  to  resist  these 
shortsighted  plans,  and  have  kept  it  to  its  original  pur- 
pose of  publishing  only,  or  at  least  mainly,  thorough 
discussions  of  fundamental  themes  which  would  be  of 
permanent  value.  The  result  has  been  that  Biblio- 
theca  Sacra  has  maintained  a  cosmopolitan  character, 


396  Story  of  My  Life 

both  in  its  circulation  and  its  contributors,  more  fully 
than  any  other  American  publication  has  done.  It  is 
bound  and  indexed  in  all  the  leading  libraries  of  the 
world,  and  hence  has  become  a  favorite  channel  for 
writers  of  eminence,  who  had  something  important  to 
say  to  the  leaders  of  thought  in  all  centers  of  influ- 
ence. 

I  should  not  fail  to  mention  the  inestimable  services 
rendered  by  Miss  Annie  S.  Davis,  a  member  of  my 
church  in  Andover  and  a  graduate  of  the  Salem  Nor- 
mal School,  who,  forced  by  ill  health  to  abandon  her 
chosen  profession,  had  temporarily  served  an  appren- 
ticeship in  the  printing  office  of  Warren  F.  Draper, 
the  publisher  of  Bibliotheca  Sacra.  When  the  maga- 
zine was  brought  to  Oberlin  she  was  induced  to  come 
to  take  charge  of  the  details  of  keeping  the  books,  pre- 
paring the  manuscript  for  the  printers,  and  being  re- 
sponsible for  the  proof  reading.  This  she  has  done 
now  for  more  than  thirty  years,  to  the  satisfaction  of 
all  parties  concerned,  relieving  the  editor  and  publisher 
from  the  burdensome  work  connected  with  the  details. 

While  I  have  continued  to  write  largely  for  the 
magazine,  both  over  my  own  natne  and  in  unsigned 
critical  notes  and  book  reviews,  my  chief  work  in  con- 
nection with  it  has  been  to  draw  and  direct  to  its 
pages  articles  from  competent  scholars,  supporting,  in 
the  main,  the  evangelical  system  of  church  doctrines. 


Editorial  Work  397 

Marked  success  has  attended  this  effort.  Archaeology 
has  been  treated  by  Professor  M.  G.  Kyle,  recognized 
as  an  authority  on  the  archaeology  of  Egypt  the  world 
over;  the  authority  of  Scripture  by  Dr.  Huizinga  and 
Professor  Estes  of  Colgate  University;  the  Babel- 
Bible  controversy  by  Dr.  Notz;  the  influence  of  the 
Bible  on  intellect,  conscience,  scholarship,  criticism,  and 
science  by  Rankin,  Stimson,  Kuyper,  and  Hitchcock; 
the. relations  of  the  body  to  man's  spiritual  nature  by 
Boardman,  Goddard,  and  Bixby;  the  land  and  people 
of  the  Bible  by  Curtiss  and  Beecher;  the  diseases  of 
the  Bible  and  the  plagues  of  Egypt  by  Dr.  Merrins; 
the  nature,  character,  and  work  of  Christ  by  Hillis, 
Keen,  Wright,  Merrins,  Rowland,  Burton,  Mc- 
Laughlin,  Thomson,  Wendell,  Crannell,  Sew-all, 
Shaw,  Boardman,  Hutchins,  Weston,  Fairfield,  Met- 
calfj  Thwing,  Gardiner,  and  Magoun;  on  creation 
and  modern  science  by  Warring,  Magoun,  Rowland, 
Cooper,  Gulick,  and  Wright;  on  the  Deluge  by 
Prestwich,  Adams,  Bishop,  Whitney,  Magoun,  Res- 
telle,  and  Wright;  demoniacal  possession  by  Mer- 
rins; evolution  by  Wright,  Simon,  Mackenzie, 
Thurston,  Reeve,  Hawkins,  and  Campbell ;  freedom 
of  the  will,  Foster,  Wright,  Potwin,  and  Rowland ; 
higher  criticism,  Hayman,  Wright,  Wiener,  Kuyper, 
Lamb,  Dewart,  and  Griffiths;  inspiration  by  Wright, 
Foster,  Bartlett,  and  Jarrel;  Isaiah  by  Caverno,  Lias, 


398  Story  of  My  Life 

and  Osgood;  John's  Gospel,  Ferguson,  Rishell,  Lias, 
Juel;  Jonah  by  Macloskie;  man,  origin  and  antiquity 
of,  Upham,  Wright,  Miss  Owen,  Macloskie;  miracle 
by  Wright,  Blake,  Warring,  Greene,  and  Lamb; 
Paul's  life  and  work  by  Foster,  Gilbert,  Bosworth, 
Marsh,  Merrins,  and  Williams;  Pentateuch  by  Ha- 
man,  Wiener,  Potwin,  Bartlett,  Barton,  Dahse,  Aald- 
ers,  Koenig,  Troelstra,  and  Noordtzij ;  philosophy  by 
Lindsay,  Campbell,  and  Neighbor;  theism  by  Morton, 
Bascom,  Gardiner,  and  Wright;  textual  criticism  by 

Hoskier,   Buchanan,  and  Wiener;  Wellhausen  school 

» 

by  Wiener  and  Margoliouth.  This  partial  list  of  sub- 
jects with  their  authors  gives  but  a  faint  idea  of  the 
whole  collection  of  material  found  in  the  pages  of  the 
Quarterly. 

It  is  difficult  to  estimate  the  influence  exerted  by 
such  a  publication  as  Bibliotheca  Sacra.  To  judge  of 
it  correctly  one  must  take  a  long  look.  For  the  last 
quarter  of  a  century  it  has  been  defending  those  doc- 
trines of  theism,  of  the  Bible,  and  of  theology  in  gen- 
eral, which  have  been  commonly  believed  through  all 
the  Christian  centuries,  and  which  have  served  to  give 
continuity  to  the  Christian  Church.  Since  the  be- 
ginning of  the  nineteenth  century  this  system  of  truth 
has  been  largely  supplanted  by  a  materialistic  form  of 
evolution,  which  has  taken  possession  of  many  of  the 


Editorial  Work  399 

seats  of  learning  and  influence  and  to  a  large  extent 
is  permeating  the  centers  of  scientific  thought,  while 
a  monistic  theory  of  the  universe,  equally  destructive 
with  pantheism  of  the  true  theistic  view,  is  to  a  la- 
mentable extent  controlling  many  centers  of  theologi- 
cal thought.  In  eliminating  the  idea  of  second  causes 
and  referring  everything  to  the  direct  activity  of  God, 
the  prevalent  doctrine'  of  divine  immanence  is  under- 
mining the  whole  Christian  system,  by  relieving  man 
from  the  responsibility  of  sin,  charging  it  upon  the 
Creator  himself;  and  by  obliterating  the  whole  dis- 
tinction between  natural  and  supernatural,  and  refer- 
ring everything  to  the  direct  action  of  God,  is  destroy- 
ing the  whole  conception  of  miracles,  since  it  renders 
everything  miraculous. 

In  the  controversy  that  has  been  going  on,  it  is  of 
course  impossible  to  single  out  any  one  cause  as  having 
been  predominant  in  controlling  public  opinion ;  but  it 
can  be  said  in  truth  that  the  theistic  view  of  the  uni- 
verse, as  outlined  and  defended  in  the  articles  of  Biblio- 
theca  Sacra  prepared  by  me  while  in  close  conference 
with  Professor  Park  and  Asa  Gray  and  published 
more  than  thirty  years  ago  and  repeatedly  supported 
by  articles  in  later  years  written  by  various  scholarly 
authorities,  is  that  which  both  the  scientific  and  the 
theological  world  are  again  coming  more  and  more  to 


400  Story  of  My  Life 

entertain ;  while,  in  the  defense  of  the  Mosaic  author- 
ship of  the  Pentateuch,  and  in  getting  back  to  the 
original  text  of  the  New  Testament,  the  influence  of 
Bibliotheca  Sacra  has  been  phenomenal. 

To  this  end  the  work  of  Harold  M.  Wiener  and 
E.  S.  Buchanan  have  contributed  most  largely;  and 
the  way  in  which  both  these  scholars  have  been  led  in 
their  investigations,  and  to  the  choice  of  Bibliotheca 
Sacra  as  the  main  channel  through  which  to  reach  the 
public,  deserves  a  brief  record. 

Harold  M.  Wiener  is  an  orthodox  Jew,  between 
thirty  and  forty  years  of  age,  who  was  graduated  from 
Cambridge  University  (England)  with  highest  honors 
several  years  ago,  and  who  distinguished  his  gradua- 
tion by  publishing  an  important  volume  entitled 
"  Studies  in  Biblical  Law."  In  due  time  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar,  and  became  an  active  barrister,  with 
his  office  in  Lincoln's  Inn,  London.  Soon  after,  Dean 
Wace,  of  Canterbury,  pressed  upon  the  attention  of 
a  leading  Jewish  rabbi  of  London  the  duty  of  the  Jews 
to  come  to  the  defense  of  their  hero,  Moses.  "  Why," 
he  pointedly  asked,  "  should  you  leave  the  defense  of 
your  hero  to  the  Christians?"  The  challenge  was 
taken  up  by  Mr.  Wiener,  who,  above  all  other  men, 
had  the  all-round  preparation  for  undertaking  the  task. 
He  is  a  lawyer,  and  so  is  qualified  to  consider  a  legal 


Editorial  Work  401 

document  such  as  the  Pentateuch  is.  He  is  a  faithful 
Jew,  and  knows  the  Jewish  literature  by  heart.  He 
has  command  of  all  the  languages  necessary  to  obtain 
the  facts  shedding  light  upon  the  subject.  Profoundly 
impressed  with  the  truth  of  his  cause,  Mr.  Wiener 
has  entered  the  field,  and  has  already  accomplished 
striking  results. 

He  has  shown  in  the  first  place,  that  the  higher 
critics  have  neglected  textual  criticism,  and  that  if  the 
text  is  restored  to  its  probable  condition  before  the 
Septuagintal  translation  almost  all  the  contentions  of 
the  higher  critics  fall  to  the  ground. 

Secondly,  he  has  shown  that  the  higher  critics,  not 
being  lawyers,  have  introduced  inextricable  confusion 
by  not  distinguishing  between  legal  terms  and  not  dis- 
cerning the  processes  by  which  laws  come  into  opera- 
tion. The  whole  of  the  Priestly  Code  is  what  the 
lawyers  would  call  "  procedure,"  which,  instead  of  be- 
ing relegated  to  Ezekiel's  time,  almost  necessarily 
came  into  existence  with  the  first  promulgation  of  the 
law. 

Thirdly,  the  higher  critics  have  not  distinguished 
between  an  "  altar  of  sacrifice  "  and  a  "  sanctuary," 
and  thus  have  made  confusion  worse  confounded  in 
their  reasonings.  Other  errors  are  pointed  out  too 
numerous  to  mention. 

Rev.  E.  S.  Buchanan  is  an  Oxford  scholar,  who  at 


402  Story  of  My  Life 

the  beginning  of  his  career  was  taken  under  the  tute- 
lage of  Bishop  Wordsworth  of  Salisbury,  who  in  his 
lifetime  was  the  ablest  exponent  of  the  importance  of 
the  Old  Latin  manuscripts  of  the  New  Testament. 
At  the  instigation  of  the  Bishop,  Buchanan  has  devoted 
his  life  to  the  prosecution  of  investigations  concerning 
these  manuscripts.  In  preparation  for  his  work  he 
visited  the  chief  libraries  in  Europe,  where  the  earliest 
manuscripts  of  the  New  Testament  both  in  Greek  and 
in  translation  were  contained,  and  studied  them  with 
painstaking  care.  He  then  began  the  editing  and 
translating  of  the  numerous  Latin  translations  of  the 
New  Testament  which  had  been  found  in  out-of-the- 
way  places  in  Ireland.  Before  this  work  had  pro- 
ceeded very  far,  it  became  evident  that  these  represen- 
tatives-of  the  text  of  the  New  Testament  were  two  or 
three  hundred  years  nearer  the  original  than  that  which 
is  found  in  the  received  Greek  text,  from  which  our 
English  version  was  made,  or  the  Sinaitic  and  Vatican 
texts,  which  Westcott  and  Hort  accepted  as  practically 
infallible  where  they  agreed.  It  appears  that  these 
Greek  texts  are  in  practical  agreement  with  that  fol- 
lowed by  Jerome  when  he  made  the  Vulgate  transla- 
tion in  382  A.D. 

But  that  the  very  earliest  Latin  versions  of  the  New 
Testament  were  likely  to  be  found  in  Spain,  France, 


Editorial  Work  403 

and  Ireland,  on  the  west  coast  of  Europe,  was  made 
probable  from  the  fact  that  Paul  in  Romans  (xv.  24, 
28)  twice  intimated  that  he  expected  to  visit  Spain. 
This  would  indicate  that  there  was  a  well-known 
body  of  Roman  emigrants,  consisting  of. soldiers  and 
commercial  men,  to  whom  he  hoped  to  carry  the  gos- 
pel in  the  middle  of  the  first  century.  This  inference 
is  also  supported  by  the  fact  that  at  this  time  Rome  had 
more  commercial  intercourse  with  Spain  than  it  had 
with  Greece.  As  illustrating  the  adage,  It  never  rains 
but  it  pours,  Mr.  Buchanan's  attention  was  later 
drawn  to  a  most  remarkable  Spanish  manuscript, 
which  Mr.  J.  P.  Morgan  bought  for  a  large  sum 
($30,000)  in  1910.  What  attracted  Mr.  Morgan 
was  the  size  and  beauty  of  the  work.  It  was  a  large 
folio  containing  184  leaves  of  thick  vellum,  each  leaf 
measuring  21  inches  by  14  inches;  its  binding  was 
elaborate;  and  it  contained  no  richly  colored  minia- 
tures. The  manuscript  was  the  work  of  a  Spanish 
Presbyter  named  Beatus;  and  the  work  was  written 
in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighth  century,  and  in  sub- 
stance is  a  commentary  upon  the  Apocalypse  and  the 
book  of  Daniel,  containing  innumerable  quotations 
from  the  New  Testament.  On  examining  the  text, 
Mr.  Buchanan  found  that  in  numerous  places  the 
original  readings  of  New  Testament  texts  had  been 
erased  and  the  Vulgate  reading  written  over  them. 


404  Story   of  My  Life 

His  task  was  to  recover  these  original  readings,  and 
in  this  he  has  developed  remarkable  skill.  The  original 
readings,  thus  reproduced,  were  of  the  greatest  inter- 
est and  importance.  From  his  investigations  it  ap- 
peared that  the  Vulgate  readings  superimposed  upon 
the  original,  very  uniformly  magnified  the  ecclesiasti- 
cal pretensions  of  the  church  authorities,  to  the  depre- 
ciation of  the  purer  spiritual  teachings  of  the  erased 
texts.  For  example,  the  passage  in  Matthew  xvi.  18, 
19,  which  in  our  received  text  reads,  "  Thou  art 
Peter;  and  upon  this  rock  will  I  build  my  church; 
and  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  it.  And 
I  will  give  unto  thee  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of 
heaven :  and  whatsoever  thou  shall  bind  on  earth,  shall 
be  bound  in  heaven;  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  loose 
on  earth,  shall  be  loosed  in  heaven,"  appears  in  the 
Spanish  text  without  any  reference  to  Peter,  or  the 
Church,  or  to  the  keys,  but  reads  simply,  "  On  this  rock 
shall  be  built  up  by  the  Holy  Spirit  his  disciples." 
And  instead  of  the  binding  on  earth  and  the  loosing 
in  heaven  being  given  as  the  prerogative  of  the  Church, 
it  is  in  this  text  given  as  the  prerogative  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  And  so  in  a  large  number  of  cases  it  is  evi- 
dent that  the  original  text  of  Beatus  had  been  erased, 
and  the  Vulgate  text  inserted,  in  the  interest  of  the 
ecclesiastical  pretensions  of  the  Church  authorities. 
Scarcely  had  the  work  of  translating  and  editing 


Editorial  Work  405 

the  Beatus  Manuscript  been  completed,  when  Mr. 
Buchanan's  attention  was  directed  to  the  Old  Spanish 
manuscripts  which  Mr.  Archer  M.  .Huntington  was 
gathering  in  his  Hispanic  Museum  in  New  York  City. 
Almost  immediately  his  eye  fell  upon  a  Latin  transla- 
tion of  the  New  Testament,  which  was  made  in  Spain 
in  the  twelfth  century,  but  which  originally  contained 
practically  the  same  readings  which  had  been  erased 
in  the  Beatus  Manuscript  and  written  over  with  the 
Vulgate  text.  Matthew  xvi.  18,  19  was  originally 
the  same  as  in  the  Beatus  Manuscript,  and  like  it  had 
been  made  to  conform  to  the  Vulgate  text,  which  in- 
troduced the  reference  to  Peter,  the  Church,  and  the 
keys.  Pretty  uniformly,  also,  this  text,  like  that  of 
Beatus,  contained  readings  which  magnified  the  work 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  the  depreciation  of  the  ecclesias- 
tical authorities. 

The  significant  thing  in  regard  to  these  discoveries 
is  that  they  support  the  readings  peculiar  to  what  was 
called  the  "  Western  Text,"  which  Westcott  and  Hort 
treated  as  of  little  critical  worth.  But  the  value  of 
these  readings  is  confirmed  in  a  remarkable  manner 
by  the  discovery,  in  Egypt,  of  a  Greek  manuscript 
older  than  the  Sinaitic  and  Vatican,  which  was  pur- 
chased by  Mr.  Freer  of  Detroit,  and  which  has  been 
edited  and  published  by  Professor  Sanders  of  Ann 
Arbor.  This  manuscript,  which  Mr.  Freer  has  de- 


406  Story  of  My  Life 

posited  in  Washington  and  has  insisted  should  be 
called  the  "  Washingtonian  Manuscript,"  is  recognized 
on  all  hands  as  of  the  greatest  importance  in  determin- 
ing the  original  Greek  text  of  the  New  Testament; 
and  it,  too,  in  general  supports  the  readings  of  the 
Western  Text. 

That  Mr.  Buchanan,  like  Mr.  Wiener,  should  have 
chosen  Bibliotheca  Sacra  as  the  best  channel  through 
which  to  reach  the  scholarly  public  interested  in  de- 
termining the  original  text  of  the  Bible,  is  a  striking 
witness  to  the  importance  of  my  influence  in  keeping 
the  Quarterly  up  to  its  original  scholarly  standard.  On 
consulting  the  back  numbers,  it  appeared  that  Dr.  H. 
C.  Hoskier,  the  highest  authority  on  the  Genesis  of 
the  Versions  of  the  New  Testament,  had  also  chosen 
Bibliotheca  Sacra  as  his  favorite  channel  through 
which  to  reach  the  scholarly  public  interested  in  this 
most  important  work;  and  that,  at  his  request,  Mr. 
Buchanan,  as  far  back  as  1911,  had  published  a 
lengthy  review  of  Dr.  Hoskier's  volumes  "  Concern- 
ing the  Genesis  of  the  Versions  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment"; hence  his  appearance  as  a  contributor  in  the 
recent  volumes  was  not  the  result  of  a  sudden  after- 
thought, but  of  a  matured  conviction  based  on  solid 
evidence. 

Soon  after  returning  from  my  trip  to  Asia,  I  joined 


Editorial  Work  407 

with  some  others,  including  my  son,  Frederick  Bennett 
Wright,  in  establishing  at  Washington  the  Records 
of  the  Past,  a  highly  illustrated,  beautifully  printed 

• 

monthly,  in  quarto  form,  designed  to  bring  before  the 
public  the  most  important  facts  brought  out  by  ar- 
chaeological excavations  and  studies  the  world  over. 
Later  it  was  issued  bi-monthly  and  so  continued  for 
twelve  years,  when  an  elaborate  index  both  of  the 
articles  and  the  illustrations  wras  published,  and  the 
magazine  was  absorbed  by  Art  and  Archeology,  pub- 
lished by  the  Archaeological  Institute  of  America,  and 
covering  nearly  the  same  ground.  While  my  son  was 
the  managing  editor,  I  cooperated  with  him  to  bring 
the  magazine  up  to  a  high  standard.  In  this  we  suc- 
ceeded fairly  well,  so  that  the  twelve  bound  volumes, 
as  they  are  scattered  widely  both  in  public  and  private 
libraries,  constitute  a  storehouse  of  archaeological  in- 
formation, which  is  of  the  greatest  value,  not  only  for 
imparting  general  information  but  incidentally  in  em- 
phasizing the  archaeological  facts  which  support  the 
credibility  of  the  Bible. 


408  Story  of  My  Life 

CHAPTER   XV 

ARCH/EOLOGICAL  AND  PROFESSORIAL  WORK 

NOT  the  least  enjoyable  and  important  work  in  which 
I  have  been  engaged  is  that  connected  with  the  Ohio 
State  Archaeological  and  Historical  Society,  which  was 
organized  in  1885,  and  of  which  I  was  elected  presi- 
dent in  1907,  following  an  eminent  list  of  predecessors, 
namely,  Rutherford  B.  Hayes,  Allen  G.  Thurman, 
Francis  C.  Sessions,  and  Roeliff  Brinkerhoff.  My  in- 
terest in  the  archaeology  of  the  State  was  greatly  in- 
creased during  my  survey  of  the  glacial  boundary, 
which  led  me  through  many  sections  containing  pre- 
historic mounds  and  earthworks.  Later,  I  took  oc- 
casion to  make  a  tour  of  the  State  in  company  with 
Judge  C.  C.  Baldwin,  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  all 
the  most  important  localities  in  Ohio  where  these  pre- 
historic works  were  to  be  found.  This  was  before 
any  systematic  attempt  had  been  made  by  the  State 
to  preserve  them.  When  in  England,  my  interest  was 
stimulated  further  by  a  visit  to  the  Blackmore  Museum 
in  Salisbury,  which  then  contained  the  most  important 
collection  in  existence  of  the  relics  of  the  mound 
builders  in  Ohio.  This  of  course  was  very  humiliat- 
ing to  American  archaeologists,  especially  those  of  Ohio. 


Archaeological  and  Professorial  Work        409 

The  way  it  came  about  that  such  a  collection  should 
be  there  was  on  this  wise:  About  1840,  Squier  and 
Davis  made  an  extensive  survey  of  the  mounds  in  the 
Mississippi  Valley,  partially  excavating  them,  and 
making  a  very  rich  collection  of  relics.  The  account 
of  their  work  formed  the  first  Smithsonian  report,  en- 
titled the  "  Ancient  Monuments  of  the  Mississippi 
Valley."  But  their  collection  of  relics  was  not  suf- 
ficiently appreciated,  either  in  Ohio  or  in  the  United 
States,  to  be  purchased  and  preserved  for  inspection  in 
any  museum  here.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blackmore  from 
England,  however,  so  fully  appreciated  the  collection, 
that  they  purchased  it  entire,  and  made  room  for  it 
in  the  Blackmore  Museum  in  Salisbury,  where  for 
some  decades  American  students  were  compelled  to  go 
to  study  the  archaeology  of  their  own  country.  A 
large  number  of  the  articles  in  this  collection  were 
never  duplicated  in  any  American  museum  until  191 5, 
when  discoveries  were  made  which  put  us  on  an  equal- 
ity with  England,  in  the  possession  of  mound  builders' 
relics.  Of  this  we  will  speak  later. 

Meanwhile  parties  outside  the  State,  to  our  shame, 
were  much  more  interested  in  exploring  the  mounds 
of  Ohio  than  were  the  citizens  of  the  State.  The 
Smithsonian  Institution  at  Washington  was  continu- 
ally making  sporadic  collections  of  mound  builders' 
relics,  while  the  Peabody  Museum  at  Cambridge,  un- 


4IO  Story  of  My  Life 

der  the  judicious  management  of  Professor  F.  W. 
Putnam,  was  systematically  exploring  some  of  the  most 
important  sites  of  the  mound  builders  and  taking  the 
collection  to  Cambridge,  Massachusetts.  In  1893, 
the  promoters  of  the  Columbian  Exposition  in  Chi- 
cago put  several  thousand  dollars  into  the  hands  of 
Warren  K.  Moorehead  to  explore  one  of  the  Ohio 
mounds,  which  yielded  an  immense  number  of  relics, 
all  of  which  were  taken  to  Chicago,  and  remain  in  the 
possession  of  the  Field  Columbian  Museum.  At  the 
same  time,  public-spirited  ladies  of  Boston  raised  sev- 
eral thousand  dollars  to  purchase  the  farm  in  Adams 
County  on  which  was  situated  the  famous  Serpent 
Mound,  and  to  enable  Professor  Putnam  thoroughly 
to  explore  it  and  restore  it  to  its  original  condition. 
For  many  years  we  found  it  impossible  to  arouse  the 
legislature  to  such  interest  in  our  work  as  would  in- 
duce them  to  provide  us  with  adequate  means  for  car- 
rying on  our  explorations  effectively  and  systematically, 
and,  what  was  equally  important,  to  provide  facilities 
for  displaying  the  results  of  our  explorations. 

But  at  length,  after  more  than  twenty  years,  public 
interest  was  thoroughly  aroused;  and  the  results  have 
been  all  that  we  could  expect,  and  almost  all  that  we 
could  ask.  Although  it  seemed  at  first  that  we  had 
but  the  gleanings  of  the  field,  the  systematic  work  of 


Archaeological  and  Professorial  Work         411 

our  curator,  William  C.  Mills,  has  shown  that  this 
was  not  the  case,  for  we  have  secured  results  exceeding 
those  of  all  other  investigators  combined.  From  the 
mounds  in  the  vicinity  of  Chillicothe,  collections  have 
been  made  of  implements  and  ornaments  of  argillite 
from  the  Rocky  Mountains,  of  copper  from  Lake  Su- 
perior, of  mica  from  North  Carolina,  and  of  shells 
from  the  Atlantic  Ocean  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  thus 
indicating  a  prehistoric  commerce  as  wide  as  the  con- 
tinent. In  one  of  these  mounds  was  found  a  collection 
of  fresh-water  pearls,  which  experts  said  would  be 
worth  $io,OOO  if  they  were  fresh.  But  still  more 
interesting  was  the  collection  of  counterfeit  pearls, 
which  consisted  of  clay  balls  covered  with  malleable 
mica  giving  the  appearance  of  real  pearls.  In  191 5, 
Mr.  Mills  explored  what  had  been  thought  to  be  an 
effigy  mound,  representing  an  elephant,  in  the  vicinity 
of  Portsmouth,  Ohio,  but  which  has  proved  to  be  a 
vast  crematory,  at  one  end  of  which  was  unbared  the 
surface  where  the  bodies  were  burned,  while  adjoining 
it  was  a  broad  depression  filled  with  bones  and  ashes 
resulting  from  the  fires,  and  still  beyond  was  an  im- 
mense collection  of  broken  pipes  and  other  exquisitely 
carved  ornaments,  which  more  than  duplicated  the 
unique  collection  which  we  had  been  accustomed  to 
make  pilgrimages  to  Salisbury,  England,  to  study. 
As  our  Society  grew  in  influence  its  opportunities 


412  Story  of  My  Life 

rapidly  increased.  The  State  purchased  for  us  Fort 
Ancient,  in  the  valley  of  the  Little  Miami,  in  Warren 
County,  the  largest  and  n:ost  elaborate  earthwork  on 
the  American  continent.  The  Serpent  Mound  in 
Adams  County  was  given  to  us  by  Harvard  Univer- 
sity, who  had  come  into  possession  of  it.  Various  other 
historic  sites  have  been  given  to  us  for  preservation, 
including  the  famous  elm  tree  under  which  the  Indian 
Chief,  Logan,  made  the  speech  that  has  been  so  widely 
copied  in  school  readers;  and  last  of  all  Spiegel  Grove 
in  Fremont,  a  plot  of  twenty-five  acres  of  the  original 
forest,  in  which  President  Rutherford  B.  Hayes  had 
built  his  residence,  was  given  to  us  by  his  son  Colonel 
Webb  C.  Hayes,  on  condition  that  the  State  would 
build  a  fireproof  building  to  hold  his  father's  library, 
consisting  of  the  most  complete  collection  of  Ameri- 
cana in  existence,  and  of  the  accumulation  of  docu- 
ments connected  with  his  father's  military  and  political 
career  as  governor  of  the  State  and  president  of  the 
United  States.  Such  a  building,  costing  $50,000,  was 
provided  for  by  appropriations  from  the  legislature  in 
1911,  and  at  the  same  time  $100,000  was  appropriated 
for  a  building  in  Columbus,  in  which  we  could  dis- 
play our  general  collections.  These  two  buildings  are 
now  completed,  and  form  attractions  of  the  greatest 
interest  to  the  State  and  the  country.  It  is  difficult 
to  overestimate  their  educational  value.  In  doing  my 


Archaeological  and  Professorial  Work         413 

small  share  in  bringing  about  these  results,  my  associa- 
tion with  men  of  like  mind,  from  different  parts  of 
the  State,  has  furnished  one  of  the  joys  of  my  life, 
bringing  me  into  contact,  as  it  has,  with  a  body  of 
men  keenly  interested  in  promoting  the  higher  ideal 
interests  of  the  people,  and  men  whose  gratuitous  serv- 
ices place  them  above  the  suspicion  of  having  any  per- 
sonal interest  to  serve.  The  names  of  them  all  are 
too  numerous  to  mention.  But  among  the  most  con- 
spicuous are  the  following:  Mr.  Roeliff  Brinkerhoff, 
Mr.  George  F.  Bareis,  the  late  Mr.  C.  H.  Gallup, 
General  J.  Warren  Keifer,  Dr.  Walter  C.  Metz, 
Mr.  E.  F.  Wood,  the  late  Mr.  A.  J.  Baughman, 
William  C.  Mills,  Honorable  D.  J.  Ryan,  Mr.  L.  P. 
Schaus,.  Rev.  H.  A.  Thompson,  Mr.  H.  E.  Buck, 
Colonel  Webb  C.  Hayes,  President  W.  O.  Thomp- 
son, Honorable  F.  W.  Treadway,  Rev.  N.  B.  C. 
Love,  the  late  Honorable  J.  W.  Harper,  Honorable 
Myron  T.  Herrick,  Professor  M.  R.  Andrews,  Pro- 
fessor B.  F.  Prince,  Mr.  E.  O.  Randall,  Mr.  W.  J. 
Sherman. 

It  is  believed  that,  as  time  goes  on,  the  citizens  of 
the  State,  and  of  the  country  at  large,  will  more  and 
more  appreciate  the  work  which  this  Society  has  done, 
and  that,  in  seeing  what  prehistoric  man  accomplished 
with  crude  implements  made  of  stone  and  bone,  they 


414  Story  of  My  Life 

will  feel  for  them  greater  respect,  and  will  be  stim- 
ulated to  more  earnest  study  of  all  the  records  of  the 
past.  Except  in  the  possession  of  the  accumulated 
wisdom  of  the  centuries,  and  the  labor-saving  machin- 
ery of  modern  invention,  prehistoric  man  was  the  equal 
of  modern  man,  and  moved  by  all  the  aspirations  and 
sentiments  which  animate  existing  races.  They  erected 
defensive  works  that  demanded  for  their  execution  a 
highly  organized  society;  they  carried  on  an  extensive 
commerce ;  they  had  a  high  appreciation  of  the  beauties 
of  nature,  as  shown  in  their  selection  of  village  sites; 
they  had  cultivated  tastes,  as  shown  in  their  collection 
of  ornamental  pearls  gathered  from  far  and  near,  and 
in  the  exquisite  carvings  upon  their  pipes  of  peace,  and 
by  their  successful  attempts  to  counterfeit  pearls  when 
the  natural  supply  was  not  sufficient;  and  finally,  they 
honored  the  dead  and  worshiped  the  Great  Spirit. 

One  of  the  things  which  I  have  taken  special  delight 
in  accomplishing  has  been  the  preparation  of  a  booklet 
of  a  hundred  pages,  entitled  "  See  Ohio  First,"  in 
which  a  condensed  account  is  given  of  the  geology, 
physical  geography,  archaeology,  and  history  of  the 
State,  to  which  are  appended  thirty-nine  itineraries,  by 
which  the  tourist  may,  with  as  little  waste  of  time 
and  expense  as  possible,  visit  all  the  places  of  special 
interest  in  the  State.  It  is  a  "  consummation  devoutly 


Archaeological  and  Professorial  Work         415 

to  be  wished,"  that  our  teachers  and  our  citizens  in 
general  should  be  induced  to  appreciate  the  interesting 
things  about  their  own  doors,  before  wasting  their  time 
and  treasure  in  long  journeys  to  get  hasty  glimpses  of 
foreign  fields. 

Before  closing  this  narrative,  a  few  words  should  be 
said  concerning  the  work  which  I  have  done  as  teacher 
at  Oberlin.  From  1881  to  1892  I  filled  the  chair  of 
New  Testament  Language  and  Literature  in  the  The- 
ological Seminary,  being  associated  with  an  exception- 
ally able  corps  of  instructors.  James  H.  F'airchild 
filled  the  chair  of  Systematic  Theology;  Albert  H. 
Currier,  that  of  Homiletics  and  Pastoral  Theology; 
Frank  H.  Foster,  that  of  Church  History;  William 
G.  Ballantine,  that  of  Hebrew  and  Old  Testament 
Literature,  and  William  B.  Chamberlain,  that  of  Elo- 
cution and  Rhetoric.  At  the  same  time  an  English 
department  under  the  instruction  of  Edward  I.  Bos- 
worth  drew  a  large  number  of  earnest  students.  This 
was  a  combination  of  ability,  both  for  scholarship  and 
skill  in  imparting  knowledge,  such  as  it  is  difficult  to 
excel.  The  attendance  in  the  classical  department 
rose  to  upwards  of  sixty,  all  of  whom  studied  the 
Bible  in  Hebrew  and  Greek;  while  the  English  de- 
partment numbered  forty  or  fifty. 

From  1892  to  1907  I  occupied  the  chair  of  Harmony 


4J6  Story  of  My  Life 

of  Science  and  Revelation,  created  specially  for  me. 
During  this  period  my  instruction  was  equally  divided 
between  theological  and  college  classes, —  a  special 
course  being  given  in  glacial  geology.  Of  the  success 
attending  my  work  as  teacher  I  will  not  venture  to 
speak.  Information  on  that  point  must  be  looked  for 
in  the  development  of  the  hundreds  of  pupils  who  were 
in  my  classes.  This  Story,  which  I  now  bring  to  a 
close,  contains  'the  "  substance  of  doctrine  "  which  it 
was  my  aim  to  impart.  Having,  in  1907,  already 
passed  the  age  at  which  it  was  decreed  that  professors 
who  were  to  receive  the  Carnegie  pension  were  to  re- 
tire, I  have  since  been  freer  than  before  to  devote  my 
time  to  the  work  of  preparing,  for  the  general  public, 
the  statement  of  facts  and  truths  relating  both  to  the 
material  and  the  spiritual  world  which  I  have  en- 
deavored to  impart  to  my  classes. 

In  surveying  my  life  I  am  more  and  more  im- 
pressed with  my  constant  dependence  on  the  help  of 
others.  At  every-  stage  of  progress  I  have  been  but  a 
single  factor  in  cooperation  with  many  others  in  bring- 
ing about  results.  And  over  all  a  kind  Providence 
has  preserved  me  from  the  natural  fruits  of  my  own 
perversity  and  ignorance,  and  brought  about  good  re- 
sults which  my  own  plans  would  have  failed  to  ac- 
complish. My  lines  have  indeed  fallen  to  me  in 


Archaeological  and  Professorial   Work         417 

pleasant  places,  and  I  have  had  a  goodly  heritage.  I 
have  had  sufficient  difficulties  to  overcome  to  duly 
develop  my  powers,  I  have  had  a  favoring  Providence 
to  shield  me  from  irretrievable  error,  and  a  host  of 
friends  to  help  me  on  my  way  at  every  important 
juncture  of  my  life.  What  I  have  accomplished  must 
be  judged  by  the  test  of  its  endurance  in  the  future. 
What  more  could  I  ask  except  that  I  be  spared  a  few 
more  years  to  show  "  to  the  generation  to  come  the 
praises  of  the  Lord,  and  his  strength,  and  his  wonder- 
ful works  that  he  hath  done " ;  and  that  I  be  able 
cheerfully  to  resign  myself  in  due  time  to  meet  the  last 
ordeal,  and  enter  with  the  Christian's  hope  on  the 
untried  scenes  of  the  future  life,  when  that  which  is 
perfect  is  come  and  that  which  is  in  part  shall  be  done 
awa)';  and  when  I  shall  know  even  as  I  am  known. 


41 8  Story  of  My  Life 


CHAPTER   XVI 

MY  CREED 

1.  /  know   that  I  exist,  experience  certain  sensa- 
tions, and  put  forth  exertions  to  explain  and  coordin- 
ate these  sensations  so  that  they  shall  form  a  basis  for 
a  system  of  beliefs  by  which  to  guide  my  conduct.     I 
know  that  I  ought  to  shape  my  conduct  with  reference 
to  the  highest  good  of  being. 

2.  I  believe  that  the  primal,  self -existent,  eternal 
reality  was  spiritual  and  personal,  rather  than  material 
and  impersonal. 

Something  must  be  self-existent  and  eternal.  The 
only  problem  is  whether  that  something  is  personal  or 
impersonal.  The  supposition,  that  an  impersonal 
force  should  have  filled  nature  with  the  utilities  and 
adaptations  which  we  observe,  and  should  at  last  have 
evolved  the  personality  of  man,  is  as  near  an  absurdity 
as  can  be  conceived.  That  a  self-existent  personality 
should  have  planned  and  created  nature  involves  no 
such  an  absurdity.  Even  in  regard  to  matter,  its  crea- 
tion is  by  no  means  an  absurdity,  for  we  know  nothing 
of  it  except  its  manifestations.  Matter  is  changeable 
in  form,  fugitive  in  its  effects,  and  is  known  by  man 


My   Creed  419 

only  on  its  outside.  Any  theory  of  its  ultimate  com- 
position leads  to  a  profound  mystery.  Atoms  and 
molecules  are  merely  combinations  and  bundles  of 
force.  It  does  not  remove,  but  multiplies  the  mystery, 
if,  with  some  modern  physicists,  we  invest  the  atom 
with  all  the  qualities  and  capacities  attributed  by  the- 
ory to  the  Deity  himself. 

3.  /  believe  that  God  is  a  creator  and  has  estab- 
lished a  system  of  secondary  causes,  both  material  and 
spiritual.  The  doctrine  of  monism  and  of  the  im- 
manence of  God  as  set  forth  by  its  extreme  advocates 
overlooks  the  plainest  facts  of  experience. 

At  one  time  I  was  invited  to  address  a  large  min- 
isters' meeting  in  which  I  was  preceded  by  an  extreme 
advocate  of  the  divine  immanence.  The  speaker  had 
maintained  that  everything  in  the  outside  world  was 
a  direct  creation  of  God.  There  were  no  inherent 
forces  in  the  material  that  constituted  the  table  be- 
fore him.  The  table  was  merely  a  phantasmagoria, 
kept  on  the  screen  by  the  direct  action  of  the  Creator. 
Our  own  actions  were  the  product  of  immediate  di- 
vine agency.  God  worked  in  us  directly  to  produce 
all  our  good  impulses.  At  the  outset  of  my  address, 
I  turned  to  the  speaker  and  asked  him  if  he  held  God 
responsible  for  all  the  mean  things  he  had  ever  done. 
Being  an  honest  man,  he  confessed  that  he  did  not. 
Whatever  was  the  source  of  the  good  in  him,  the 


420  Story  of  My  Life 

meanness  in  him  was  his  own  creation,  thus  acknowl- 
edging himself  as  a  secondary  cause,  endowed  with 
power  to  resist  the  will  of  God.  That  admission 
made,  the  existence  was  granted  of  secondary  causes, 
which,  properly  conceived,  are  centers  of  various  kinds 
of  forces  which  the  Creator  voluntarily  permits  to  act 
within  their  sphere  by  their  inherent  capacities.  From 
these  spheres  of  action  he  has,  in  the  act  of  creation, 
voluntarily  withdrawn  his  direct  agency. 

4.  /   believe  that,   in   the  beginning,   God  created 
the  elements  out  of  which  have  evolved,  under  his  di- 
rection, the  heavens  and  the  earth;  in   other  words, 
that  he  gave  to  the  ultimate  particles  of  matter  the 
qualities   of   inertia   which   permit   them   to    be   segre- 
gated into  the  various  masses  which  appear  in  the  uni- 
verse; that  he  imparted  to  these  particles  and  masses 
the  motions  appearing  in  the  infinite  variety   of  com- 
binations incident  to  a  progressive  universe,  and,  over 
all,    imposed    the    mysterious    power    of    gravitation. 
How  these  things  were  done,  I  have  no  idea.     They 
belong  to  the  mysteries,  no  less  of  science  than  of  the- 
ology. 

5.  I  believe  that  in  due  time  the  principle  of  life 
came  into  the  world  as  a  new  creation. 

This  belief  rests  partly  upon  the  fact  that  its  effects 
are  contradictory  to  those  of  the  other  forces  of  na- 
ture. Gravitation  pulls  every  thing  down.  The  fric- 


My  Creed  421 

tion  of  the  elements  wears  away  the  rocks,  and  reduces 
everything  to  a  level ;  whereas  life  builds  up  new 
structures,  which  defy  the  power  of  gravitation,  and,  in 
animals,  moves  them  hither  and  thither  without  any 
regard  to  the  inertia  of  their  component  particles.  I 
maintain  this  belief  in  face  of  the  assertion  of  Huxley 
that  he  believed  that  somewhere  in  infinite  time,  and 
amid  the  infinite  series  of  changes  through  which  mat- 
ter has  been  called  to  pass,  life  with  all  its  possibilities 
did  somehow  originate  from  material  forces.  But, 
though  Huxley  was  a  scientific  man  of  high  degree, 
this  was  not  a  scientific  conclusion,  since  he  had  just 
admitted  that  the  theory  of  spontaneous  generation 
had  been  shown,  by  a  great  variety  of  experiments,  to 
be  without  foundation.  But  even  if  we  should  sup- 
pose that,  in  the  creation  of  material  forces,  God  had 
endowed  them  with  power  automatically  to  bring 
forth  at  a  certain  stage  of  development  what  is  de- 
scribed in  Genesis  as  plant-life,  "  whose  seed  is  in 
itself,"  it  would  still  be  a  creative  act,  incorporated 
into  the  original  constitution  of  things,  to  develop  only 
in  due  time  when  conditions  were  ready  for  its  per- 
petuation. But  this  is  as  nearly  inconceivable  as  any- 
thing can  well  be. 

6.  /  believe  that,  after  the  introduction  of  life  into 
the  world,  there  was  an  orderly  progress  from  lower 
to  higher  forms,  as,  in  the  geological  ages,  conditions 


422  Story  of  My  Life 

became  favorable  for  their  maintenance.  But  I  do  not 
have  sufficient  evidence  to  believe  that  this  progress 
has  been  due  wholly  to  the  inherent  forces  of  nature. 

I  would  not,  however,  set  hard  and  fast  limits  to 
the  power  of  variation  in  plants  and  animals,  and  to 
the  power  of  natural  selection  in  preserving  variations 
adapted  to  new  conditions.  Since  we  know  that  man, 
by  selection  and  protecting  care,  can  produce  in  species 
such  varieties  as  we  have  in  domestic  plants  and  ani- 
mals, we  would  not  say  that  the  Creator  may  not  go 
farther  in  the  use  of  natural  forces  to  produce  varia- 
tions which  we  should  call  species, —  the  difference 
between  varieties  and  species  being  largely  one  of 
definition. 

7.  I  believe  that,  whatever  may  be  true  about 
some  organic  connection  between  man  and  some  un- 
known species  of  anthropoid  apes,  man  with  his  pres- 
ent physical  and  spiritual  characteristics  appeared  sud- 
denly on  the  earth,  at  no  very  distant  period,  as  geolo- 
gists count  time. 

The  peculiar  characteristics  both  of  mind  and  body 
which  constitute  man  are  too  numerous  and  peculiar 
to  have  come  in  by  slow  increments.  The  average 
human  brain  weighs  three  times  as  much  as  the  aver- 
age brain  of  the  gorilla.  The  average  brain  capacity 
of  the  earliest  prehistoric  skulls  yet  discovered  is  equal 
to  that  of  existing  races.  The  upright  position  of 


My   Creed  423 

man;  his  free  and  shorter  arms,  with  the  delicately 
adjusted  thumb  and  ringers  upon  the  extremity;  his 
well-developed  lower  limbs,  and  the  broad-soled  foot 
with  the  stiff  projecting  big  toe;  the  absence  of  a  hairy 
covering,  together  with  the  mental  capacities  enabling 
man  to  make  fire  at  will,  to  construct  implements  of 
stone  and  bone  and  wood,  create  spoken  language  and 
means  of  perpetuating  his  thoughts  by  hieroglyphs  and 
alphabetical  characters;  especially  his  powers  of  induc- 
tive reasoning  by  which  he  learns  the  courses  of  the  stars 
and  studies  the  history  of  the  earth  in  its  rocky  strata, 
and  through  a  variety  of  sciences  learns  the  history  of 
man  in  the  past  and  forecasts  his  future  both  in  this 
world  and  the  next, —  such  a  combination  of  bodily  and 
mental  characteristics  could  not  have  been  produced 
by  piecemeal.  Without  the  mental  characteristics  those 
of  the  body  would  be  disadvantageous.  Without  the 
bodily  characteristics,  the  mental  developments  would 
be  useless.  Such  complicated  accidental  combinations 
are  inconceivable.  They  can  occur  only  as  the  product 
of  design,  which  is  equivalent  to  creation. 

8.  /  believe  in  a  Glacial  epoch,  the  magnitude  and 
complication  of  whose  effects  few  as  yet  begin  to  com- 
prehend. 

It  would  seem  incredible,  if  the  evidence  were  not 
overwhelming,  that  the  warm  climate  of  the  Tertiary 
period  should  have  been  succeeded  by  climatic  condi- 


424  Story  of  My  Life 

tions  which  compelled  the  snows  of  the  north  to  ac- 
cumulate till  they  pushed  the  vast  mass  of  glacial  ice, 
a  mile  thick  in  North  America,  down  to  New  York 
City,  Cincinnati,  Carbondale  in  the  southern  part  of 
Illinois,  and  Topeka  in  Kansas,  covering  in  all  four 
million  square  miles;  and  in  Europe  filling  the  North 
Sea  and  covering  the  British  Isles  almost  down  to  the 
latitude  of  London,  and  extending  to  the  mountain 
barriers  south  of  Berlin  to  the  center  of  Germany, 
and  to  Kiev  in  Russia,  covering,  in  all,  two  million 
square  miles.  But  such  are  the  facts. 

9.  /  believe  that  the  conditions  of  the  Glacial  epoch 
were  so  abnormal  that  they  render  nugatory  a  vast 
amount  of  reasoning  by  which  archaeologists  draw, 
from  present  conditions,  inferences  concerning  the 
events  of  the  past. 

In  connection  with  the  advance  and  retreat  of  the 
glacial  ice  there  was  a  great  destruction  of  animal 
species  that  were  contemporaries  of  man,  and  a  re- 
markable development  and  redistribution  of  species 
both  of  plants  and  animals.  There  is  abundant  evi- 
dence that  great  changes  of  land  level  occurred  in  the 
Northern  Hemisphere,  first  in  its  depression  during 
the  accumulation  and  climax  of  the  period,  and  again 
in  its  reelevation  after  its  close.  This  postglacial  de- 
pression amounted  to  600  feet  at  Montreal,  and  1,000 
feet  farther  north  in  America  and  in  corresponding 


My   Creed  425 

latitudes  in  northern  Europe;  while  there  is  distinct 
evidence  of  a  depression  in  Central  Asia,  amounting 
to  700  feet,  and  much  evidence  of  its  extension  to 
2,000  feet.  At  the  same  time,  the  floods  connected 
with  the  final  melting  of  the  ice  were  perfectly  enor- 
mous in  their  amount,  and  incalculable  in  their  de- 
structive effects  on  animal  life.  During  that  period 
the  Missouri  River  was  compelled  to  handle,  during 
the  summer  months,  twenty-five  times  its  present 
volume  of  water,  causing  floods  two  hundred  feet  in 
height;  while  the  Mississippi  River  was  compelled,  at 
the  same  time,  to  dispose  of  sixty  times  its  present  vol- 
ume. Let  him  who  can,  picture  to  himself  the  signifi- 
cance of  these  facts. 

IO.  /  believe  that  the  Glacial  epoch  continued 
down  to  historical  times. 

The  evidence  is  such  as  should  convince  anyone  who 
candidly  considers  all  the  facts,  that  glacial  ice  did  not 
retreat  from  southern  Sweden  until  seven  thousand 
years  ago.  Nor  did  it  retreat  from  central  New  York 
and  northern  Minnesota  at  a  much  earlier  date.  It 
is  still  retreating  at  a  rapid  rate  in  Alaska,  the  Muir 
Glacier  having  retired  seven  miles  and  a  half  in  the 
last  twenty-five  years,  and  nearly  all  the  other  gla- 
ciers proportionally.  Thus  it  would  appear  that  when 
the  civilization  of  Egypt,  Babylonia,  and  Central  Asia 
was  at  its  height,  the  most  populous  present  progressive 


426  Story  of  My  Life 

centers  of  the  world  were  buried  beneath  a  glacial 
covering.  Any  one  who  draws  inferences  concerning 
the  earliest  history  of  mankind,  without  duly  consider- 
ing these  facts  and  others  correlated  with  them,  is  sure 
to  be  misled. 

11.  /   believe   that   the   abnormal    conditions   con- 
nected  with    the    Glacial    epoch    make    it    impossible, 
when  the  documents  are  properly  interpreted,  to  dis- 
credit the  stories  of  the  flood  in  Genesis  and  of  the 
distribution  of  the  human  race  from  Central  Asia. 

12.  /  believe  that  with  all  man's  splendid  capaci- 
ties   for    inductive    reasoning,    by    which    he    extracts 
knowledge  from  the  facts  of  nature  with  reference  to 
the  things  which  are  distant  in  space  and  time  both 
past  and  future,  he  needs,  for  his  guidance  and  saiis- 
factio-n,  a  supplementary  revelation  from   God. 

The  demands  of  man's  ethical  nature  and  the  needs 
of  his  moral  nature  cry  out  for  some  more  definite 
knowledge,  both  of  the  Creator's  dealings  with  him  in 
the  past  and  of  his  intentions  respecting  him  in  the  fu- 
ture, than  he  can  obtain  from  personal  experience  or  by 
induction  from  the  complicated  facts  of  the  material 
universe  and  of  the  general  history  of  the  race. 

It  is  well  that,  in  making  such  supplementary  revela- 
tion to  man,  God  has  respected  and  honored  the  in- 
tellectual capacity  bestowed  upon  him,  by  which  he 
weighs  and  estimates  historical  evidence  and  transmits 


My   Creed  427 

to  the  future  the  truths  already  thus  obtained,  enabling 
successive  generations  to  stand  upon  the  shoulders  of 
their  predecessors,  and  so  to  secure  progress  from  age 
to  age.  It  is  little  less  than  suicidal  for  one  generation 
to  sunder  the  historical  connection  that  binds  them  to 
the  past, —  especially  to  that  epoch  in  history  that 
witnessed  the  introduction  of  Christianity. 

13.  /  believe  that  in  the  Bible  we  have  such  a  sup- 
plementary revelation  from  God  of  the  facts  and  truths 
essential  to  the  promotion  of  true  religion. 

The  proof  of  this  comes  largely  from  the  character 
and  extent  of  the  influence  which  the  Bible  has  al- 
ready had  in  the  world.  But  this  presumptive  infer- 
ence is  amply  supported  by  every  other  kind  of  needed 
evidence.  The  first  chapter  of  Genesis  stands  un- 
rivalled, as  a  comprehensive  and  brief  statement  of  the 
origin  of  the  universe  and  the  development  of  the 
world  up  to  the  introduction  of  man.  No  unaided  hu- 
man intellect  could,  in  the  period  when  the  first  chap- 
ter of  Genesis  was  written,  have  framed  a  cosmogony 
with  which  modern  science  could  find  so  little  fault. 
The  historical  statements  of  the  Old  Testament  are 
so  amply  confirmed  by  the  inscriptions  upon  the  monu- 
ments of  Assyria,  Babylonia,  Palestine,  and  Egypt, 
and  by  study  of  the  natural  conditions  amid  which 
their  seemingly  incredible  facts  are  said  to  have  oc- 
curred, that  they  stand  accredited  as  fully  as  CQuld  be 


428  Story  of  My  Life 

desired,  and  more  fully  than  any  other  extended  his- 
torical document  of  ancient  times.  Disbelief  in  the 
statements  of  the  Old  Testament  is  mainly  the  re- 
sult, not  of  superior  knowledge,  but  of  ignorance. 

14.  /  believe  that  greater  care  than  is  wont 
should  be  used  in  the  inspection  and  interpretation  of 
the  reported  miracles,  lest  we  burden  ourselves  with 
unnecessary  and  harmful  incongruities  between  the  al- 
leged facts  and  the  objects  to  be  accomplished. 

An  extraordinary  interference  with  the  course  of 
nature  implies  an  extraordinary  end  to  be  accom- 
plished. We  cannot  believe  that  the  Creator  would 
invalidate  the  law  of  parsimony,  and  put  forth  super- 
fluous force  for  the  accomplishment  of  his  purposes. 
Causing  the  sun  and  moon  to  stand  still,  in  the  literal 
sense,  would  seem  a  superfluous  expenditure  of  force 
to  secure  so  small  a  thing  as  a  victory  over  Israel's 
enemy.  It  is  a  relief,  therefore,  to  find  that  a  proper 
interpretation  of  the  narrative  easily  brings  it  within 
the  range  of  credibility.  The  words  translated  "  stand 
still  "  may  as  well  be  translated  "  be  silent,"  equivalent 
to  stop  shining,  thus  making  the  prayer  a  request  that 
the  storm,  which  is  said  to  have  been  prevailing, 
might  continue  until  the  victory  was  complete. 

Still  I  would  not  press  this  statement  to  unreason- 
able lengths:  the  law  of  parsimony  may  be  made  to 
work  in  both  directions.  The  display  of  a  great 


My  Creed  429 

amount  of  force  in  the  accomplishment  of  a  purpose, 
if  properly  substantiated  by  evidence,  proves  the  im- 
portance of  the  end  to  be  secured,  which  may  be  the 
accrediting  of  a  witness,  or  the  imparting  of  force  to 
a  figure  of  speech.  In  the  main  the  reported  miracles 
of  the  Bible  are  made  to  serve  these  purpo:es,  and  so 
are  indispensable  elements  in  making  a  divine  revela- 
tion effective. 

Again,  the  short  chronology  formerly  adduced  from 
the  Biblical  statements,  which  seems  to  conflict  with 
the  scientific  evidence  of  the  antiquity  of  man,  is  shown 
by  Professor  William  Henry  Green  to  be  an  incorrect 
and  unnecessary  inference  from  the  data.  The  phrases 
"  son  of  "  and  "  begat,"  while  indicating  direct  line 
of  descent,  do  by  no  means  indicate  immediate  descent, 
so  that  the  genealogies  in  Genesis  v.  and  xi.  are  in- 
definite in  their  time  ratios,  and  can  be  stretched  out 
to  any  length  required  by  other  evidence  which  may  be 
at  hand. 

A  large  number  of  the  miracles  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment belong  to  a  class  described  as  "  mediate  mir- 
acles," in  which  the  means  employed  are  evident,  the 
miraculous  element  consisting  in  the  use  of  such  a 
degree  of  power  as  to  indicate  in  some  way  the  direct 
presence  of  the  Creator's  activity.  This  is  illustrated 
in  the  crossing  of  the  Red  Sea,  where  the  wind  is  ex- 
pressly said  to  have  been  the  means '  by  which  the 


430  Story  of  My  Life 

waters  were  parted  for  the  Israelites  to  pass  through 
and  were  brought  back  again  to  overwhelm  the 
Egyptions.  In  the  destruction  of  Sodom  and  Go- 
morrah, the  plagues  of  Egypt,  the  opening  of  the  Jor- 
dan for  Joshua's  host,  the  fall  of  the  walls  of  Jericho, 
the  destruction  of  Sennacherib's  host,  and  various  other 
miracles,  the  secondary  causes  involved  are  now  easily 
recognized  by  scientific  investigators.  Whether  this 
abnormal  use  of  secondary  causes  involves  the  direct 
interference,  by  the  Creator,  with  the  course  of  na- 
ture, as  when  a  man  kindles  a  fire  or  blows  the  dust 
from  his  mantel,  or  whether  it  merely  involves  that 
foreknowledge  which  makes  the  conjunction  of  events 
a  matter  of  prophecy,  is  immaterial.  In  either  case  it 
becomes  a  supernatural  event,  sufficient  to  accredit  the 
human  agent  in  whose  behalf  it  takes  place.  The  im- 
portance of  the  results  flowing  from  the  Old  Testa- 
ment miracles  amply  justifies  their  introduction  into 
the  course  of  human  history.  For  it  is  through  their 
influence  upon  the  Jewish  race  that  the  conception  of 
the  unity  of  God  has  been  preserved  in  the  world. 
Idolatry  prevails  everywhere  except  among  Jews,  Mo- 
hammedans, and  Christians,  who  have  felt  the  direct 
impulse  of  these  miraculous  interpositions.  Further- 
more, the  Jewish  history  prepared  by  these  miraculous 
revelations  of  God  has  furnished  the  root  upon  which 
Christianity  could  be  grafted.  These  results  are  cer- 


My   Creed  431 

tainly  sufficient  to  justify  the  means  supposed  to  be 
employed.  The  ends  accomplished  by  the  Old  Testa- 
ment miracles  are  as  noble  and  important  as  the  means 
for  accrediting  the  revelation  were  extraordinary. 

15.  /  believe  that  the  books  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment are  genuine  and  authoritative  records  of  the  facts 
concerning  Christ's  life  and  the  doctrines  which  are 
logically  connected  with  that  life. 

This  belief,  too,  is  justified  by  the  fruits  of  Chris- 
tianity. The  noblest  civilization  of  the  world,  and 
that  on  which  the  highest  hopes  of  the  future  depend, 
-has  sprung  directly  from  the  life  and  teachings  of 
Christ,  as  revealed  in  the  New  Testament.  Outside 
of  the  New  Testament  we  have  no  facts  and  teach- 
ings of  Christ  of  any  importance.  All  this  is  sufficient 
to  give  presumptive  evidence,  of  the  highest  value,  that 
Christianity  rests  upon  a  foundation  of  fact. 

This  presumption  is  supported  by  such  an  amount 
of  additional  evidence,  of  a  scientific  character,  as  to 
establish  its  truth  beyond  reasonable  doubt.  The  doc- 
uments of  the  New  Testament  all  bear  evidence  of 
having  been  produced  so  near  to  the  events  recorded, 
that  they  are  first-class  witnesses.  Some  of  the  Epistles 
of  Paul,  witnessing  to  all  the  essential  facts  of  Christ's 
life,  were  certainly  written  within  thirty  years  of  his 
death.  There  is  abundant  evidence  to  show  that  the 
first  three  Gospels  were  written  before  the  destruction 


432  Story  of  My  Life 

of  Jerusalem.  The  Gospel  of  John,  though  written 
towards  the  close  of  the  century,  comes,  as  an  historical 
document,  far  within  the  limit  which  is  set  by  his- 
torians for  the  competency  of  traditional  evidence. 
The  testimony  of  the  New  Testament  to  the  fact  of 
Christ's  death  upon  the  cross  and  of  his  subsequent 
bodily  resurrection  satisfies  all  the  requirements  of 
judicial  procedure  in  courts  of  law,  and  is,  in  fact, 
not  only  ample  but  superabundant  to  produce  a  belief 
in  the  facts  which  is  beyond  reasonable  doubt.  It  is 
needless  to  say  that  the  proposed  object  of  Christ's 
death,  and  the  actual  results  flowing  from  belief  in  it, 
amply  justify  the  means  employed  to  display  the  love 
of  God  for  the  human  race,  and  the  plan  by  which  its 
restoration  to  righteousness  and  happiness  may  be  se- 
cured. This  one  miracle,  of  Christ's  resurrection,  be- 
ing established  by  evidence  that  cannot  be  controverted, 
there  is  no  difficulty  in  believing  the  story  of  minor 
miracles  connected  with  his  life. 

1 6.  /  believe  that  we  can  most  effectively  preserve 
the  truths  of  the  Christian  revelation  and  promote  the 
unity  of  the  church  by  adhering,  in  the  main,  to  the 
formulas  of  doctrine  wrought  out  through  the  ex- 
periences of  the  early  church,  and  incorporated  in  the 
Nicene  Creed. 

Whatever  criticisms  may  be  made  of  these  formulas, 
they  avail  little  against  the  fact  that  they  represent 


My    Creed  433 

the  main  springs  of  the  life  of  Christ's  followers,  near- 
est the  original  fountain  of  truth,  and  before  the 
stream  had  been  polluted  by  the  corruptions  of  more 
prosperous  times.  I  fear  that,  in  the  efforts  to  eman- 
cipate ourselves  from  the  misunderstandings  incident 
to  the  acceptance  of  the  early  creeds  of  the  church, 
and  to  substitute  in  their  place  the  refinements  of  mod- 
ern metaphysical  speculations,  we  shall  lose  the  power 
of  the  great  original  truths,  and  waste  our  lives  in  a 
rarefied  air  of  speculative  philosophy,  unsupported  by 
the  facts  of  revelation;  and  doom  our  followers  to 
the  fate  of  those  spoken  of  by  the  prophets  as  "  walking 
in  sparks  of  their  own  kindling." 

I  fear  that  an  uncritical  acceptance  of  the  doctrine 
of  evolution  will  pervert  the  minds  of  an  increasing 
number  of  the  leaders  of  public  opinion  in  Christian 
lands,  so  as  to  rob  the  mass  of  the  people  of  their  pre- 
cious heritage  in  the  most  inspiring  doctrines  of  Chris- 
tianity. A  tissue  of  myths  and  fables  is  a  poor  sub- 
stitute for  an  historical  record  of  divine  intervention, 
in  accrediting  messengers  who  could  speak  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord.  A  Saviour  who  was  not  "  God 
manifest  in  the  flesh  "  but  a  being  of  human  origin, 
whose  character  and  work  is  not  that  which  is  his- 
torically represented  in  the  New  Testament,  but  an 
illusion  of  speculative  writers  of  a  subsequent  gener- 
ation, is  a  feeble  substitute  for  the  gospel  which  is 


434  Story  of  My  Life 

the  power  of  God  unto  salvation.  I  fear,  therefore, 
that  before  these  erroneous  and  stifling  views  shall 
be  stayed  in  their  spread  from  the  various  centers  of 
learning  where  they  are  being  propagated,  an  untold 
multitude,  deprived  of  the  real  bread  of  life,  will  pine 
away  in  a  land  where  spiritual  food  is  scarce,  and 
where  faith  is  by  no  means  "  the  substance  of  things 
hoped  for." 

I  fear  that,  robbed  of  "  the  faith  of  the  fathers," 
which  transformed  the  Roman  Empire,  and  which, 
wherever  it  has  opportunity  to  "  run  and  have  free 
course  and  be  glorified,"  is  still  transforming  the 
world,  the  "powers  that  be,"  which  are  controlling 
the  political  and  social  order  of  nations,  will  drive  the 
world  to  destruction  and  make  the  forecasts  of  the 
premillenarians  a  true  and  welcome  prophecy  of  events 
that  are  to  come. 

17.  /    confidently    expect    that,   as    the    Lord    has 
often,  in  the  past,  raised  up  "  judges  in  Israel "  to  lead 
the  people  out   of  bondage,  so   now,  leaders   ivill  be 
raised  up,  whose  voices  will  be  effectively  heard  in  de- 
fense of  the  "  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints." 

1 8.  /  confidently  expect  that  theologians  and  men 
of  science  will  in  due  time  come  to  such  mutual  un- 
derstanding that,  recognizing  their  own  limitations  and 
giving  credit  to  both  the  direct  and  the  indirect  revela- 
tions of  the  Creator,  they  will  incorporate  into  their 


My   Creed  435 

creeds   the   well-established   truths  pertaining   to   both 
the  material  and  spiritual  worlds. 

We  look  for  a  speedy  return  of  the  day  when  lead- 
ing men  of  science,  in  line  with  Copernicus,  Galileo, 
Kepler,  Tycho  Brahe,  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  the  Her- 
schels,  Benjamin  Pierce,  Angelo  Secchi,  C.  A.  Young, 
Sir  Humphrey  Davy,  Benjamin  Silliman,  Michael 
Faraday,  Clerk  Maxwell,  Lord  Kelvin,  Baron  Cuvier, 
Sir  Richard  Owen,  Louis  Agassiz,  Sir  Robert  Murch- 
ison,  Hugh  Miller,  Sir  Joseph  Prestwich,  President 
Edward  Hitchcock,  Sir  William  Dawson,  J.  D.  Dana, 
Alexander  and  N.  H.  Winchell,  Joseph  LeConte,  Asa 
Gray,  John  Torrey,  Joseph  Henry,  and  a  host  of 
others,  will  duly  magnify  the  facts  of  the  spiritual 
world,  and  fully  appreciate  the  evidence  by  which  they 
are  brought  to  our  consideration  through  the  revela- 
tion contained  in  the  Bible.  We  look  for  a  new 
generation  of  clergymen,  who  shall  follow  in  the 
footsteps  of  Dean  Buckland,  Adam  Sedgwick,  J.  P. 
Smith,  J.  S.  Henslow,  Peter  Lesley,  Edward  Orton, 
and  others,  who,  in  addition  to  their  theological  train- 
ing (perhaps  by  virtue  of  it),  shall  greatly  enlarge  the 
range  of  knowledge  in  various  scientific  fields. 

19.  I  hope  and  expect  that  God  will  make  use  of 
the  judgments  now  falling  so  heavily  upon  the  nations 
of  the  world,  so  to  exhibit  the  "  exceeding  sinfulness 
of  sin  "  and  so  to  magnify  his  grace  in  the  atoning 


436  Story  of  My  Life 

work  of  his  Son,  that  the  whole  world  shall  fear  and 
tremble,  and  that,  by  mighty  outpourings  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  as  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  the  world  shall  be 
convicted  of  the  manifold  ways  in  which  they  have 
crucified  their  Lord  afresh,  and  shall  speedily  return 
in  humble  penitence  to  the  Lord  that  bought  them. 


APPENDIX 

NOTES 
CHAPTER    I 

NOTE  i,  p.  15. — See  pages  334-337. 
NOTE  2,  p.  15. — See  page  378. 

CHAPTER  in 
NOTE  i,  p.  124. — See  page  132-136. 

CHAPTER   IV 

NOTE  i,  p.  139. — See  "Studies  in  Science  and  Religion," 
chap.  v. 

NOTE  i,  p.  140. — This  moraine  forms  the  backbone  of 
Long  Island,  and  furnishes,  like  a  huge  sponge,  the  water 
supply  of  Brooklyn  and  the  various  cities  throughout  the 
length  of  the  Island. 

CHAPTER   XI 

NOTE  i,  p.  265. — 'See  Bulletin  of  the  Geological  Society 
of  America,  vol.  xiii.  p.  136  f.  A  more  detailed  calculation 
is  found  in  my  "  Scientific  Confirmations  of  Old  Testament 
History,"  pp.  208-213. 

NOTE  i,  p.  306. — "  Origin  and  Antiquity  of  Man,"  chap.  xi. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

1871 

Ground    of    confidence    in    inductive    reasoning.      New    Eng 
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1873 

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437 


438  Story  of  My  Life 

1874 

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1875 

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1876 
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494    Jl 

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Book  Reviews.     Bib  Sac    33:  584-90,  773-8    Jl,  O 

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1877 

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so-called  New  England  theology.  Bib  Sac  34:  708-41  O 

Professor  Max  Miiller  and  his  American  critics.  Bib  Sac 
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Book  Review.    Bib  Sac    34:  584-7   Jl 

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Appendix  439 

1878 

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1879 

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Hist    20:  210-20    Ap  2 

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Quatrefages;  Freedom  in  .  Science  and  Teaching,  by 
Haeckel  and  Huxley;  Evolution  of  Man,  by  E.  Haeckel; 
Darwinism  and  Other  Essays,  by  John  Fiske. 

1880 

[Address]  at  opening  of  Brigham  Academy,  Bakersfield,  Vt., 

Aug.  1879.     Exercises  and  Addresses.     7-25 
Insufficiency  of  natural   religion.     Advance    Mr  25 
Man  and  the  glacial  period.    Ind   Mr  4 
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ion.    Bib  Sac    37:  48-76    Ja 
Reverend  Mr.  Dillaway's  reasons  for  believing  in  the  Bible. 

Cong    S    i 

Why  Willie  should  believe  in  a  God.     Cong    Ag  18 
Why  Willie  should  believe  in  Christ  as  divine.    Cong   Ag  25 

Book  Reviews.     Bib  iSac    37:  390-5,  577-86    Ap,  Jl 

Natural  Science  and  Religion,  by  Asa  Gray;  Final  Causes, 
by  Paul  Janet;  An  Introduction  to  the  Philosophy  of  Re- 
ligion, by  John  Caird;  Preadamites,  by  Alexander  Win- 


44-O  Story  of  My  Life 

chell;  History  of  Materialism,  by  F.  A.  Lange;  Early 
Man  in  Britain,  by  W.  Boyd  Dawkins. 

1881 

Attempt  to  estimate  the  age  of  the  palaeolithic-bearing  grav- 
els in  Trenton,  N.  J.  Proc  Bos  Soc  Nat  Hist  21:  137-45 
Ja  19 

Book  Reviews.  Bib  Sac  38:  199-206,  394-9,  587-91  Ja, 
Ap,  Jl 

Religion  and  Chemistry,  by  J.  P.  Cooke;  Gleanings  from 
a  Literary  Life,  by  Francis  Bowen;  Creation  and  Early 
Development  of  Society,  by  J.  H.  Chapin;  Essays  on  Art 
and  Archaeology,  by  C.  T.  Newton;  Island  Life,  by  A.  R. 
Wallace;  Brain  as  an  Organ  of  the  Mind,  by  Bastian; 
Past  in  the  Present.  What  is  Civilization?  by  Arthur 
Mitchell;  Relation  of  Science  and  Religion,  by  Calder- 
wood ;  Anniversary  Memoirs  of  the  Boston  Society  of 
Natural  History. 

1882 

Physical  science  in  the  theological  seminary.  Bib  Sac  39: 
190-6  Ja 

Book  Reviews.     Bib  Sac   39:  207,  208    Ja 

Primitive  Industry,  by  C.  C.  Abbott;  Report  upon  the 
United  States  Geographical  Surveys  West  of  the  One 
Hundredth  Meridian,  by  F.  W.  Putman. 

1883 
Exaggerations    of   the    issues    between    science    and    religion. 

Cong    My  10 

Parsonage  and  the  home  missionary.     Advance    Ap  19 
Practical   bearings  of  our   belief  concerning   the   relation   of 

death  to  probation.     Bib  Sac    40:  694-713    O 
Prehistoric  man   in   North  America.    Advance    N   8,   15,   29, 

D  13,  27 
Recent   investigations   concerning   the   southern   boundary   of 

the  glaciated  area  of  Ohio.     Am  Jour  Sci    26:  44-56    Jl 
Science  and   life.     Overland   Mo    i :  279-82    S 


Appendix  441 

Some   of   the   foundations   that   science   cannot   shake.      Cong 

My    31 

True   and  false  agnosticism.     Cong    My  3 
Uncertainties  of  science.     Cong    My  17 

1884 

Dr.  Ladd  on   alleged  discrepancies  and  errors  of  the  Bible. 

Bib  Sac    41:  389-98    Ap 
Glacial   Boundary   in   Ohio,   Indiana    and   Kentucky.      West 

Res  Hist  Soc  Tract  60 

Glacial  boundary  in  Ohio.     Geol  Sur  of  O    5 :  750-72 
Glacial  man  in  Ohio.     Howe's  Hist  Coll  of  O    i :  90-9 
Glaciated  area  of  North  America.    Am  Nat  18:  755-67    Ag 
Misplaced   agnosticism.     Cong    Ag  7 

Niagara  Gorge  as  a  chronometer.     Bib  Sac    41:  369-76    Ap 
Prehistoric  man  in  North  America.     Advance    Ja  3,  17,  31, 

F  14,  28,  'Mr  13,  27,  Ap  10,  24,  My  15 
Prof.  John  Morgan.     Advance    O  23 
Theory  of  a  glacial  dam  at  Cincinnati  and   its  verification. 

Am  Nat    18:  563-7    Je 
What  is  old  may  be  true.     Cong    N  6 

Book  Review.     Bib  Sac    41 :  197-202    Ja 

The  Doctrine  of  Sacred  Scripture,  by  G.  T.  Ladd. 

1885 

Christian  consciousness.     Cong    My  5 
Dr.  Ladd's  agnosticism.     Bib  Sac    42:  765-72    O 
Man   and  the   glacial   period   in  America.     Mag  West   Hist 

i :  289-300    F 
Prof.  Wright  and  some  of  his  critics.    Bib  Sac   42:  351-9  Ap 

Book  Reviews.     Bib  Sac   42:  591-600   Jl 

Elements  of  Moral  Science,  by  Noah  Porter;  On  the  Dif- 
ference between  Physical  and  Moral  Law,  by  William 
Arthur;  Paradise  Found,  by  William  F.  Warren. 

\  1886 

Has  modern  criticism  affected  unfavorably  any  of  the  essen- 


442  Story  of  My  Life 

tial  doctrines  of  Christianity?     Horn  Rev    n:  307-12    Ap 
Wonders  of  Alaska.     Advance    N  n,  25,  D  9 

Book  Review.     Bib  Sac   43 :  785-7    O 

Evolution  of  Revelation,  by  James  M.  Whiton. 

1887 

Age  of  the  Ohio  gravel-beds.     Proc  Bcs  Soc  Nat  Hist    23: 

427-36,  D  21 
American    Board    and    speculative    theology.      Bib    Sac     44: 

707-24    O 

Gas  wells.     Cong    Mr  17 
Genesis  and   science.     Cong    F  24 
Importance  of  the  study  of  the  archaeology  of  Ohio.     Ohio 

State  Arch  and  Hist  Soc  Pub    i:  55-60 
Muir  Glacier.     Am  Jour  Sci    33:  1-18    Ja 
Notes  on  the  glaciation  cf  the  Pacific  coast.     Am   Nat    21 : 

250-6    Mr 
[With  A.  A.  Currier]   Park's  discourses  considered  homilet- 

ically  and  theologically.     Bib  Sac    44:  156-74    Ja 
Prof.    Smyth   and   the   Andover   Creed.      Bib    Sac    44:    557- 

559    Jl 
Relation  of  the  glacial  period  to  archaeology  in  Ohio.     Ohio 

State  Arch  and  Hist  Sec  Pub    i:  174-186 
Term  "  son  of  man  "   as  used   in  the  New  Testament.     Bib 

Sac   44:  575-601    O 
Wonders  of  Alaska.     Advance   Ja  20,  27,  Mr;  24 

Book  Reviews.  Bib  Sac  44:  194-7,  564-7,  729-34  Ja,  Jl,  O 
Nature  and  the  Bible,  by  F.  H.  Reusch ;  An  Introduction 
to  the  Textual  Criticism  of  the  New  Testament,  by  B.  B. 
Warfield ;  Commentary  on  the  Gospel  of  John,  by  F. 
Godet. 

1888 

Age  of  the  Philadelphia  red  gravel.  Proc  Bos  Sec  Nat  Hist 

24:  152-7    D   19 

A  secret  of  missionary  success.     Cong    Ag  30 
Cosmogony    of    Genesis     (Rejoinder    to    Professor    Driver's 


Appendix  443 

Critique  of  Professor  Dana).     Bib  Sac   45:  356-65    Ap 
Debt  of  the  church  to  Asa  Gray.     Bib  Sac    45:  523-30    Jl 
Indian  missions  as  seen  upon  the  ground.     Cong    Ag  2 
Inspiration.     Our  Day    i :  468-71    Je 
Mr.  Darwin's  religion.     Cong    Mr  i 
Prof.  Asa  Gray.     Advance    F  9 

Book  Review.     Bib  Sac  45:  366-72   Ap 
Life  and  Letters  of  Charles  Darwin. 

1889 

Affinity  of  science  for  Christianity.     Bib  Sac    46:  701-20    O 

Darwinism   and   deism.     Ind    O   10 

Darwin  on  Herbert  Spencer.     Bib  Sac*46:  181-84    Ja 

Dr.  Briggs  on  the  higher  criticism  and  its  results.     Bib  Sac 

46:  381-3    Ap 

Glacial  period  and  Noah's  deluge.     Bib  Sac    46:  466-74    Jl 
Huxley  among  the  false  prophets.     Advance    Jei  20 
Huxley  on  the  cessation  of  miracles.     Cong    Ag  29 
Nampa  image:  correspondence  relating  to  its  discovery,  with 

explanatory  comments,   etc.     Proc  Bos   Soc  Nat   Hist    24: 

424-50    Ja 

Peril  from  glacial  reservoirs.     Ind    Ag  18 
Reexamination  of  Darwin's  theory  of  coral  islands.     Bib  Sac 

46:  377-8i    Ap 

Transcendental  science.     Ind    O  3 
Union  efforts  between   Congregationalists   and  Presbyterians: 

results  and  lessons.     Bib  Sac   46:  721-5    O 
Uses   and   abuses   of   an    important   interpretation.      Bib    Sac 

46:  304-20    Ap 

Book  Review.     Bib  Sac    45 :  743-5    O 

Bible  Doctrine  of  Inspiration,  by  Basil  Manly. 

1890 

Archaeological   discovery  in  Idaho.     Scrib  Mag    7:  235-8    F 

Civil  wars  of  science.     Ind    S  18 

Country  church.-  Bib  Sac    47:  267-84    Ap 


444  Story  of  My  Life 

Discovery  of  a   palaeolithic   implement   at   New   Comerstown, 

Ohio.     West  Res  Hist  Soc  Tract  75 
Dr.  Briggs's  "Whither."     Bib  Sac    47:  136-53    Ja 
Glacial  boundary  in  western  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Kentucky, 

Indiana,  and  Illinois.     U  S  Geol  Sur  Bull  58 
Moraine  of  retrocession  in  Ontario.     Bull   Geol   Soc  Am    i : 

544-6 

Mormon  muddle  in  Utah.     Nation    51:  338-9    O  30 
Mormon  question  in  Idaho.     Nation    51:  243-4    S  25 
Owen's  socialistic  experiment  at  New  Harmony.    Cong  Ap  17 
Palaeolithic  man  in  Ohio.     Nation    50:  331    Ap  24 
Statute  of  limitations.     Cong    F  20 
Truth  about  Yellowstone  Park.     Cong    O  2 

Book  Reviews.     Bib  Sac   47:  159-165    Ja 

Mental   Evolution   in   Man,  by   G.  J.  Romanes ;   Darwin- 
ism, by  A.  R.  Wallace;  Scientific  Papers  of  Asa  Gray. 

1891 

A  catastrophe  of  the  glacial  period.     Nation    53:  350-1    N  5 
Additional    notes   concerning   the    Nampa   image.      Proc   Bos 

Soc  Nat  Hist    25 :  242-6 
A  geological   prediction.     Cong    N   26 
Antiquity  of  man  in  the  light  of  recent  investigations.     Ch 

Ad    D  31 

Antiquity  of  man  on  the  Pacific  coast.     Ind    Ja  15 
A  Sunday  in  Cologne.     Cong   Ag  6 
Great  Shoshone  falls.     Bost  Tran    Ag  8 
Lava  Beds  of  Idaho.     Sci  Am    S  19 
Lessons  from   a  recent  volcanic  eruption  in  California.     Ind 

N  19 

Man  and  the  glacial  period.    Pop  Sci  Mo  39:  314-8    JI 
Origin  of  the  Yosemite  canyon.     Ind    F    26 
Prehistoric  man  on  the  Pacific  coast.    At  Mo    67:  501-12    Ap 
Recent  discoveries  bearing  on  the  antiquity  of  man.     Bib  Sac 

48 :  298-309    Ap 

Some  fallacies  concerning  higher  criticism.     Cong    F   12 
Some  will-o'-the-wisps  of  higher  criticism.     Cong    Mr   12 


Appendix  445 

Supposed  interglacial  shell-beds  in  Shropshire,  England.    Bull 

Geol  Soc  Am    3 :  505-8 
Table-mountain  archaeology.     Nation    52:  419-20    My  21 

Book  Reviews.     Bib  Sac   48:  185-6,  531-5,  542-3    Ja,  Jl 
Eschatology   according  to  the   Chronology  of  the  Apoca- 
lypse, by  F.  Gi  Hibbard ;  Change  of  Attitude  toward  the 
Bible,  by  J.  H.  Thayer;  Elements  of  Geology,  by  Joseph 
LeConte. 

1892 

Adjustments   between   the   Bible   and   science.     Bib   Sac    49: 

153-6    Ja 

An  English  glacial  myth.     Nation    54:  318-9    Ap  28 
A  travesty  upon  the  dominant  methods  employed  in  Old  Tes- 
tament criticism.     Bib  Sac   49:  143-9   Ja 
Changes  in  Muir  glacier.     Ind    My  26 
Credibility  of  the   supernatural   in  the   Old  Testament.    Bib 

Sac   49:  149-53    Ja 

Excitement  over  glacial  theories.     Sci    22:  360-1    D  23 
Extra-morainic   drift   in  the   Susquehanna,   Lehigh   and   Del- 
aware valleys.     Proc  Phil  Acad  Nat  Sci   469-84   D  27 
Geological  time.     Cong    Ag  4 
Man  and  th'e  glacial  period.     Dial    D   16 
Man  and  the  glacial  period.     Sci    20:  275-7    N  n 
Ministers  and  mobs.     Bib  Sac   49:  676-81    O 
Outlets  to  the  Great  Lakes.     Nation    55:  217-9    S  22 
Pre-Niagara  period  of,  the  Great  Lakes.     Ind    N  10 
President  Finney  and  Oberlin.     Advance   Ag  25 
St.  Elias  glacial  fields.     Nation    54:  48-9    Ja  21 
Supposed    post-glacial    outlet    of    the    Great    Lakes    through 
Lake  Nipissing  and   the  Mattawa   river.     Bull   Geol   Soc 
Am    4:  423-7 
Theory   of    an    interglacial    submergence    in    England.      Am 

Jour  Sci    43 :  1-8    Ja 
Unity  of  the  glacial  epoch.     Am  Jour  Sci   44:  351-73    N 

Book  Reviews.     Bib  Sac    49:  169-72,  351-5    Ja,  Ap 

What  is  Reality,  by  F.  H.  Johnson;  Evolution:  its  Nature, 


446  Story  of  My  Life 

its  Evidences,  and  its  Relation  to  Religious  Thought,  by 
J.  LeConte;  Elements  of  Theology  Natural  and  Revealed, 
by  J.  H.  Fairchild. 

1893 
Additional  evidence  bearing  upon  the  glacial  history  of  the 

upper  Ohio  valley.    Am  Geol    n:  195-9    Mr 
Commerce  of  the  mound  builders.     Ind    N  16 
Evidences  of  glacial  man  in  Ohio.   Pop  Sci  Mo  43:  29-38  My 
Glacial  man  in  America.     Ind    Mr  30,  Ap  13 
Glaciers  of  Alaska.     Worth  Mag    i:  341-54    Ap 
Ice  Age  in  North  America.     Dial   Ja  16 
Moses  and  the  art  of  writing.     Advance    D   19 
Mr.   Holmes's   criticism   upon   the   evidence   of   glacial    man. 

Sci  21 :  267-8    My  19 

Some  detailed  evidence  of  an  ice-age  man  in  eastern  Amer- 
ica.    Sci    21 :  65-6    F  3 

Some  of   Professor   Salisbury's  criticisms  on   "  Man   and   the 
Glacial  Period."     Am  Geol    n:  121-6    F 

Book  Reviews.     Bib  Sac   ,50:  375-6,  552-7    Ap,  Jl 

Interpretation  of  Nature,  by  N.  S.  Shaler;  Genesis  First 
and  Modern  Science,  by  C.  B.  Warring;  Apologetics;  or, 
Christianity  Defensively  Stated,  by  A.  B.  Bruce. 

1894 
Adaptations   of   nature   to  the   highest   wants   of   man.      Bib 

Sac    51:  206-30    Ap 
Adaptations  of  ;nature  to  the  intellectual  wants  of  man.    Bib 

Sac    51:  560-86    O 

Cincinnati  ice  dam.     Pop  Sci  Mo   45:  184-98    Je 
Continuity  of  the  glacial   period.     Am  Jour  Sci    47:  161-87 

Mr 

Geological  time.    Ind   Ap  5 

In  the  Snake  river  valley.     Worth  Mag    3 :  227-41    Mr 
Last  trip  of  the  Miranda.     Cong    S  13 
Life  in  the  north  Atlantic.     Nation    59:    422-3    D   6 
Some  remarkable  fossil  fish  in  Ohio.     Ind    Ja  4 
The  Greenland  kayak.     Nation    59:  213-4    S  20 


Appendix  447 

Two  Sundays  in  Greenland.     Ind    O  18 

Book  Reviews.  Bib  Sac  51:  181-3,  351-3,  522-3  Ja,  Ap,  Jl 
Letters  of  Asa  Gray;  Anti-Higher  Criticism,  by  Howard 
Osgood;  Is  Moses  Scientific,  by  T.  E.-  Kipp. 

1895 

Along  the  route  of  Burgoyne.     Cong    O   3 
Bad  philosophy  going  t6  seed.     Bib  Sac    52:  559-61    Jl 
Glacial   phenomena   between   Lake   Champlain,  Lake   George 

and  Hudson  river.     Sci  n  s    2:  673-8    N  22 
Dr.  Hoist  on  the  continuity  of  the  glacial  period.     Am  Geol 

16:  396-9  D 

Geological  history  of  Lake  George.     Ind    N  28 
Greenland  Christianity.     Bib  Sac    52:  176-9    Ja 
Herbert  Spencer  on  the  inadequacy  of  natural  selection.    Ind 

Jl    I* 

Irenicon.     Bib   Sac    52:  1—17    Ja 
Letter  regarding-  Chicago   drainage  canal.     Clev   News   and 

Her    Mr  25 
New   evidence   of   glacial   man   in   Ohio.     Pop    Sci    Mo    48: 

157-65    D 
Observations  upon  the  glacial  phenomena  of  Newfoundland, 

Labrador  and  southern  Greenland.     Am  Jour  Sci   49 :  86- 

94    F 
Professor  Prestwich  on   some  supposed   new   evidence  of  the 

deluge.     Bib   Sac    42:  723-39    O 

The  Chicago  drainage  canal.     Nation    60:  320-1    Ap  25 
The  Chicago  ship  canal.     Ind    Je  20 

Book  Reviews.     Bib  Sac    52:  369-70,  569-75    Ap,  Jl 

Manual  of  Geology,  by  J.  D.  Dana;  Foundations  of  Be- 
lief, by  A.  J.  Balfour;  Thoughts  on  Religion,  by  G.  J. 
Romanes;  Historical  Geography  of  the  Holy  Land,  by 
G.  A.  Smith. 

1896 

Age  of  the  Philadelphia  brick  clay.     Sci  n  s    3:  242-3    F  14 
Fresh    relics   of   glacial    man    at   the   Buffalo  meeting   of  the 
A.  A.  A.  S.     Am  Nat    30:  781-84    O 


448  Story  of  My  Life 

Luke  as  a  historian.     Ch  16  of  "The  Bible  as  Literature" 

Mary  Lyon  and  Oberlin.     Nation    63 :  436    D  10 

Memorial  of  Charles  Candee  Baldwin,  LL.D.,  late  President 

of    the   Western    Reserve    Historical    Society.      West    Res 

Hist  Soc  Tract    88 
The  latest  concerning  Niagara  Falls.     Ind    S  17 

Book  Reviews.     Bib  Sac    53:  196-7,  392-4,  397-8    Ja,  Ap 
Higher  Critics  Criticised,  by  R.  P.  Stebbins;  Unity  of  the 
Book  of   Genesis,   by   W.    H.   Green ;    Darwin   and   after 
Darwin,  by  G.  J.  Romanes. 

1897 
Archaeological   discoveries   made   in   the  gravels   at  Trenton, 

N.  J.     Sci  n  s    5 :  586    Ap  9 
Effects  of  gales  on  Lake  Erie.     Ind    N  18 
Genesis  and  geology.     Bib  Sac    54:  570-2   Jl 
Geology  of  the  Yukon  river.     Ind    Ag  19 
Harmony  of  science  and  revelation.   Horn  Mo  33:  206-10   Mr 
Lyman  Abbott  rediscovered  A.D.  4001.     Advance    Ap  29 
New  "sayings  of  Jesus."     Bib  Sac    54:  759-70    O 
Paradoxes  of  science.     Bib  Sac    54:  205-31    Ap 
Place  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  in  the  Christian  system. 

Bib  Sac    54:  381-3    Ap 
Prehistoric  man  at  Trenton.     Ind    S  9 
Royal  road  to  inluence.     Ob  Rev    24:  173-81    F 
Special  explorations  in  the  implement-bearing  deposits  on  the 

Lalor  farm,  Trenton,  N.  J.     Sci  n  s    6:  637-45    O  29 
Yukon  gold  fields.     Nation   65 :  105-6   Ag  5 

1898 

Agassiz  and  the  ice  age.     Am  Nat    32:  165-71    Mr 
"  Beyond    reasonable   doubt  "  —  a    practical    principle.      Horn 

Rev  36:  291-5    O 

Dr.  Driver's  proof  texts.     Bib  Sac    55:  515-25    Jl 
First  chapter  of  Genesis  and  modern  science.     Horn  Rev    35: 

392-9    My 
Glacial   observations   in  the   Champlain-St.  Lawrence  valley. 

Am  Geol    22:  333-4    N 


Appendix  449 

Gulick's  contribution  to  evolutionary  theories.     Ind    Ap  7 

Nature  of  miracles.     Bib  Sac   55:  360-1    Ap 

Present   aspects  of  the   questions   concerning  the  origin   and 

antiquity  of  the  human  race.     Prot  Epis  Rev    n:  300-24 

F,  Mr 
Probable  rapidity  of  man's  early  development.     Bib  Sac    55: 

359-60    Ap 

1899 

Christian  scientists.     Bib  Sac    56:  374-81    Ap 
Dr.  Driver's  proof  texts.     Bib  Sac    56:  140-47    Ja 
New  method  of  estimating  the   age  of  Niagara  Falls.     Pop 

Sci  Mo    55:     145-54   Je 
Truth  about  the  Nampa  figurine.     Am  Geol    23 :  267-72    Ap 

Bock  Review.     Bib  Sac    56:  589-92    Jl 

General  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Holy  Scripture,  by 

C.  A.  Briggs. 

1900 

A  lecture  tour  in  Japan.     Cong   Je  7 
An  inside  view  of  Christian  movements  in  Japan.     Bib  Sac 

57:  609-13    Jl 
Archaeological    discoveries    in    Ohio.      Jour   of   Arch   Inst   of 

Am   4:  165 
A  sure  and  short  method  with  the  Seventh  Day  Adventists. 

Bib  Sac    57:  609    Jl 
Balkash  basin.     Nation    71 :  401-2    N  22 
Breach  between  Russia  and  China.     Nation    71 :  247    S  27 
Dr.   Gulick's  field  of  investigation.     Bib   Sac    57 :   608-9    Jl 
Evolutionary  fad.     Bib  Sac    57:  303-16    Ap 
Future  of  China.     Bib  Sac    57:  738-47    O 
Lake  Baikal  to  the  Yenisei.     Nation    71 :  267    O  4 
Notes  on  Japan.     Nation    70:  395,  415-6    My  24,  31 
Oberlin  College.     New  Eng  Mag  n  s    23 :  65-84   S 
Prehistoric  remains  in  Japan.     Sci  n  s   990-1    Je  22 
Remarks  on  the  loess  in  north  China.    Sci  n  s    12:  71-3   Jl  13 
Russians  in  Mantchuria.     Nation   71:  207-8    S  13 
Samarkand.     Nation    71 :  507    D  27 


450  Story  of  My  Life 


Stretensk  to  Lake  Baikal.     Nation    71 :  225-6    S  20 

Tashkend.     Nation    71 :  441    D  6 

Up  the  Irtish  river.     Nation  71:  383    N  15 

Up  the  Yenisei.     Nation    71:  285-6    O  n 

1901 

Across  Asia.     Ind    53:  772-5    Ap  4 
Armenian  future.     Advance.     F  7 
Biblical  and  geological  chronology.    Advance    Ag  29 
Caspian  sea.     Nation    72:  66   Ja  74 
Caucasus  mountains.     Nation    72:  152-3    F  21 
Crossing  of  the  Red  sea.   Bib  Sac    58:  570-9    Jl 
Flood  and  Genesis.     Ind    53:  1858-9    Ag  8 
Geology  and  the  deluge.     M?Clure    17:  134-9    Je 
Geology  of  China.     Sci  n  s    13:  1029-30   Je  28 
Geology's  witness  to  the  flood.    S  S  Times    Jl  6 
Great  Jordan  fault.     Nation    72:250-2    Mr  28 
Oil-fields  of  Baku.     Nation    72:  46-7    Ja  17 
Origin   and  'distribution  'of  the  loess   in  northern   China   and 

central  Asia.     Bull   Geol  Soc  Am    13:  127-38 
Physical    preparation    for   Israel    in    Palestine.      Bib    Sac    58: 

360-9    Ap 

Possible  population  of  Palestine.     Bib  Sac    58 :  740-50   O 
Professor  Park.     Bib  Sac    58:  187-90    Ja 
Recent    geological    changes    in    northern    and    central    Asia. 

Quart  Jour  Geol  Soc    57 :  244-50    My 
Religious  future  of  Siberia.     Bib  Sac    58:  191-94   Ja 
Religious  future  of  Siberia.     Miss  R    24:  211-3    Mr 
Russian  problem  in  Manchuria.     R  of  Rs    24:  60-7    Jl 
Russo-Turkish  border.     Nation    72:  211    Mr  14 
Trans-Caspian    region    and    its   evidences   of   the   flood.      Ind 

53:  1361-3    Je  13 

1902 
Archaeological   interests   in   Asiatic  Russia.     Rec  Past     i :   7- 

H  Ja 

Case  of  Professor  Pearson.     Bib  Sac    59:  379-82    Ap 
Christian   Evolution.     Advance    Ja   9 


Appendix  45 1 


Crimea  and  the  Caucasus.     Chaut    36:  253-69  D 

Geological   confirmations  of  the   Noachian   deluge.     Bib   Sac 

59:  282-93,  537-56,  695-716    Ap,  Jl,  O 
Geology's    testimony    to    Israel's    crossing   the   Jordan.      S    S 

Times    S  27 
Influence   of   the   geography  of   central   Asia   upon   the  early 

history  of   mankind.     Trans   Ohio   Coll   Assoc 
Irrepressible  conflict  in  the  East.     Nation    74:  187-8    Mr  6 
President  James  H.   Fairchild.     Bib  Sac    59:  375-78    Ap 
Rate  of  lateral  erosion  at  Niagara.     Am  Geol    29:  140-3  Mr 
Reminiscences     of     President     Fairchild.     Oberlin     Rev     29: 

404-6    Mr  27 

Uncertainties  of  biblical  criticism.     Advance    Jl  31 
Uncertainties  of  science.     Advance    My  15 
Years   of    plenty    and  years   of    famine    in    Egypt.      Bib    Sac 

59:  169-74   Ja 
Book  Reviews.     Bib  Sac    59:  387-91,  584-9    Ap,  Jl 

Rational  Basis  of  Orthodoxy,  by  A.  W.  Moore;  Lines  of 

Defense   of   Biblical    Revelation,   by   D.    S.    Margoliouth; 

Authorship  of  the  Bock  of  Deuteronomy,  by  J.  W.   Mc- 

Garvey. 

Book  Review.     Rec  Past     i :  195-204   Jl 

Oldest  Civilization  of  Greece,  by  H.  R.  Hall 

1903 

Age  of  the  Lansing  skeleton.     Rec  of  Past   2:  119-24   Ap 
Another  glacial  wonder.     Nation   77:  461-2   D  10 
Archaeological   interests  of  central   Asia.     Proc  Arch  Inst  of 

Am  D   29-31 

Destruction  of  the  Taku  forts.     Nation    76:  454    Je  4 
Eastern  Siberia  and  Manchuria.     Chaut    37:  245-62    Je 
Evidence  of  the  agency  of  water  in  the  distribution  of  the 

loess    in    the   Missouri   valley.      Bull    Geol    Soc   Am     15: 

575-6 

Glacial  man.     Rec  Past    2:  259-71    S 
Inspiration  of  Paul's  address  at  Athens.     S  S  Times    Ja  17 


452  Story  of  My  Life 

Lansing  skull   and   the   early  history  of   mankind.     Bib   Sac 

60:  28-32   Ja 

Mediate  miracles.     Horn  Rev   45:  18-22   Ja 
Problems  confronting  Russian  statesmen.    Bib   Sac    60:  765- 

70   O 

Revision  of  geological  time.     Bib  Sac    60:  578-82    Jl 
Rights   of   the   community   versus   the    rights   of   labor.      Bib 

Sac    60:  179-81    Ja 

Russian  rights  in  Mantchuria.     Nation    76:  411-3    My  21 
Scientific  basis  of  religious  faith.     Cong    N  28 
Signs  of  the  glacial   period  in  Japan.     Sci  n  s    17:   349-50 

F  27 
Uncertainties  of  science  and  the  certainties  of  religion.    Horn 

Rev   46:  413-5    D 

Western  Siberia  and  Turkestan.     Chaut    37:  144-59    My 
What  the  Bible  teaches  concerning  the  flood.    Horn  Mo   45 : 

298-304    Ap 
Book  Reviews.     Bib  Sac    60:  587-90,  776-82    Jl,  O 

Exploration  in  Bible  Lands  during  the  Nineteenth  Cen- 
tury, by  H.  V.  Hilprecht;  Old  Testament  Criticism  and 
the  Christian  Church,  by  J.  E.  McFadyen. 

1904 

American  Bible  League.     Bib  Sac    61:  567-71    Jl 
Arkansas  cotton  belt.     Nation    79:  332-3    O  27 
Balfcur  on  design  in  nature.     Bib  Sac    61 :  780-3    O 
Bone  Cave  of  San  Giro.     Rec  Past    3:  216-9 
Dr.  Driver's  rope  of  sand.    Bib  Stud  and  Tea  3:  151-7  Mr 
Evidence  of  the   agency  of  water  in  the  distribution  of  the 

loess  in  the  Missouri  valley.     Am  Geol    33:  205-22    Ap 
Geological   confirmation   of  the   flood.      Horn   Rev    47:   256- 

62    Ap 

Influence  of  the  Russian  liturgy.     Bib  Sac    61:  166-74    Ja 
Old-time  Mississippi  plantation.     Nation    79:  351-2    N  3 
Russia's   civilizing   work    in    Asia,      por   R  of   Rs    29:   409, 

427-32    Ap 
Substantiating  witness  of  textual  criticism.   Bib  Stud  and  Tea 

i:  24-7    Ja 


Appendix  453 


Tchaikovsky's  Music  set  to  the  Russian  Liturgy.    Bib  Sac  61 : 

571-8    Jl 

Unscientific    character    of    the    prevailing    higher    criticism. 
Bib  Stud  and  Tea    i:  348-55    Je 

Book   Reviews.      Bib    Sac     61:    195-203,    390-2,    588-93     Ja, 
Ap,  JI 

Old  Testament  History,  by  H.  P.  Smith;  Ultimate  Con- 
ceptions of  Faith,  by  G.  A.  Gordon ;  Christian  Faith  in 
an  Age  of  Science,  by  W.  N.  Rice;  Teaching  of  Jesus 
concerning  his  own  Mission,  by  F.  H.  Foster;  New  Light 
on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  by  C.  A.  Briggs. 

1905 

Albert  Allen  Wright.     Am  Geol    36:  65-8    Ag 
Ancient  gorge  of  Hudson  river.     Rec  Past   4:  167-71    Je 
Antiquities  of  the  Crimea  at  Kertsch.    Rec  Past   4:  339-40    N 
Application  of  the  golden  rule.     Bib  Sac    62:  782-6    O 
A  question  in  casuistry  [gifts  from  Standard  Oil  Company]. 

Bib  Sac    62:  370-6    Ap 

Archaeological   notes  from   Sweden.    Rec  Past    4:    329-33     N 
Archaeological    notes    on    northern    England.     Rec    Past     4: 

312-4    O 
Contributions  of  geology  to  the  credibility  of  the  flood.     Bib 

Stud   and  Tea  3:   11-5    Jl 
Early  art  in  Egypt.     Rec  Past    4:  367-72    D 
Ethics  of  Standard  Oil.     Bib  Sac    62:  538-559    Jl 
Geological  confirmation  of  the  biblical  history  of  Israel  from 

Abraham   to   the    Exodus.      Bib    Stud    and    Tea     2:   423- 

30    Je 
Glacial    movements    in    southern    Sweden.      Am    Geol     36: 

269-71    N 

In  southern  Sweden.     Nation    81:  275-6    O  5 
Physical    conditions    in    North    America    during    man's    earlv 

occupancy.     Rec  Past   4:  15-26    Ja 
Professor   Shimek's  criticism  of  the   aqueous   origin   of  loess. 

Am  Geol    35:  236-40    Ap 


454  Story  of  My  Life 

Recent  date  of  lava  flows  in   California.     Rec  Past    4:  195- 

8    Jl 

Russia  after  the  war.     Nation    81:  295    O  12 
Russian  peasant.     Nation    8r:  420-2,  441-2    N  23,  30 
Scientific  criticism   falsely  so-called.     Bib  Stud   and  Tea    2: 

38-41    Ja 
Situation   in  Mantchuria.     Nation    80:  265-6    Ap  6 

Book  Reviews.  Bib  Sac  62:  191-3,  398-400,  593-7  Ja,  Ap,  Jl 
The  Gospel  and  the  Church,  by  Alfred  Loisy ;  Central 
Asia  and  Tibet,  by  Sven  Hedin;  Ethics  of  the  Christian 
Life,  by  H.  E.  Robins ;  Atonement  and  Modern  Though^, 
by  J.  B.  Remensnyder. 

1906 

Archajological  museum  of  Florence,  Italy.  Rec  Past  5 :  59-63  F 
Bible  and  Science,  Accord  of.    New  Stan  Enc    2 
Cedars  of  Lebanon.     Rec  Past    5:  195-04    Jl 
Geology  and  Genesis  on  the  creation.     S  S  Times    Ja  6 
Inscriptions  at  Dog  river,  Syria.    Rec  Past    5 :  1-5    Ja 
Liberty's  limitations  —  the  dead  hand.    Bib  Sac    63:  164-6  Ja 
Light  from  geology  upon  the  crossing  of  the  Red  sea  by  the 

children  of  Israel.     Rec  Past    5:  295-302    O 
My  recent  European  trip.    Oberlin  Alum  Mag   2:  179-84   Mr 
Politics  and   popular  delusions.     Bib   Sac    63:  735-40    O 
Situation  in  Russia.     Advance   Mr  i 
Submerged  trees  of  the  Columbia  river.     Rec  Past    5:  243-8 

Ag 

Book  Reviews.  Bib  Sac  63:  177-83,  364-9,  744-9  Ja,  Ap,  O 
An  Outline  of  the  Theory  of  Organic  Evolution,  by  M. 
M.  Metcalf;  Philosophy  of  Religion,  by  G.  T.  Ladd;  Ge- 
ology (vol.  3)),  by  Salisbury  and  Chamberlin;  Knowledge 
of  Gcd,  and  its  Historical  Development,  by  H.  M.  Gwat- 
kin;  Studies  in  Biblical  Law,  by  H.  M.  Wiener. 

1907 

Albert  H.  Currier.     Oberlin  Alum  Mag    3:  211-4    Mr 
A  neglected  analogy.     Bib  Sac    64:  179-82    Ja 


Appendix  455 


Jericho  and  San  Francisco.     S  S  Times    O  5 

Miracle  of  the  strong  east  wind.     S  S  Times    Je  i 

Neglected  analogy.     Bib  Sac    64:  179-82    Ja 

Recent  geologic  changes  as  affecting  theories  of  man's  devel- 
opment.    Am  Anthrop  n  s    9:  529-32    Jl-S 

Troglodyte   dwellings   of   Bakhtchi-Sara'i.      Rec   Past    6:    13- 
20    Ja 

Where  was  Sodom?     S  S  Times   Mr  3 

Book  Reviews.     Bib  Sac    64:  194-7,   S9I-4.  600-2,  770-7  Ja, 
Jl,   O 

Golden  Days  of  the  Renaissance  in  Rome,  by  R.  Lan- 
ciani ;  A  Critical  and  Exegetical  Commentary  on  the  Book 
of  Psalms,  by  C.  A.  Briggs ;  Light  on  the  Old  Testament 
from  Babel,  by  A.  T.  Clay;  Babylonian  Expedition  of 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  vol.  xx.  pt.  i,  by  H.  V. 
Hilprecht;  A  Genetic  History  of  New  England  Theology, 
by  F.  H.  Foster;  Evolution,  Racial  and  Habitudinal,  by 
J.  T.  Gulick;  Systematic  Theology,  by  A.  H.  Strong; 
Christian  Theology,  by  M.  Valentine. 

1908 
Alleged   collapse   of    New   England   theology.     Bib    Sac    65: 

601-10    O 
Chronology  of   the   glacial    epoch    in    North    America.      Proc 

Geol  Soc  of  Lond    Ja  16 

Cosmogony.     Murray's  II  Bible  Diet  pp   182-3 
Fort  Ancient.     Rec  Past    7:  191-8    Jl-Ag 
Hebrew  Poetry.     Murray's  II  Bible  Diet  pp  697-700 
Influence  of  glacial  epoch  en  early  history  of  mankind.    Rec 

Past    7:  22-37    Ja 
Influence    of    the    glacial    epoch    upon    the    early    history    of 

mankind.     Trans  Vic  Inst    Ja  6 
Jewish  temple  in  Egypt.     Bib  Sac    65:  170-3    Ja 
Latest  concerning  prehistoric  man  in  California.    Rec  Past  7: 

183-7   J'-Ag 
New  serpent  mound  in  Ohio  and  its  significance.     Rec  Past  7: 

220-32    S-O 


456  Story  of  My  Life 


Poverty  and  vice  of  London.     Bib  Sac   65:  368-74   Ap 
Scientific  confirmations  of  the  deluge.    Friends'  Wit    i :  44-6 

Ap 

Solar  eclipses  and  ancient  history.    Rec  Past   7:  275-81    N-D 
Some  other  Old  Testament  miracles.     Friends'  Wit    i :  55-7 

My 

1909 

Calvinism  and  Darwinism.     Bib  Sac    66:  685-92    O 
Great  Indian  quarry  of  Ohio.    Rec  Past    8:  192-3    Jl-Ag 
Hittites.     Rec  Past   8:  308-10  N-D 
Mistakes  of   Darwin    and   his   would-be   followers.    Bib   Sac 

66:  332-43    Ap 

More  about  the  new  serpent  mound.   Rec  Past  8 :  76-7  Mr-Ap 
New  serpent  mound  in  Ohio.     Ohio  Arch  Hist  Pub    18:    i— la 

Ja 
Significance  of  the  Jewish  temple  at  Elephantine.     Rec  Past 

8:  245-6    S-O 
Variations  of  glaciers.     Rec  Past    8:  113-7    Mr-Ap 

Book  Review.     Bib  Sac    66:  362-6    Ap 
Miracle  and  Science,  by  F.  J.  Lamb. 

1910 
Book  Review.     Bib  Sac    67:  156-9    Ja 

Introduction  to  the  New  Testament,  by  T.  Zahn. 

1911 

Computing  age  of  gravel  terraces.     Rec  Past    10:  332-3    N-D 
Geological   Light   on  the   interpretation  of   "  the   tongue "   in 

Joshua  15:2,  5;  18:19.     Jour  Bib  Lit    30:  18-28 
Glacial  man  at  Trenton.     Rec  Past    10:  273-82    S-O 

Book  Review.     Rec  Past    10:  283-92    S-O 

Palestine  and  its  Transformation,  by  E.   Huntington. 

1912 

Logan  Elm.     Rec  Past    u:  264-6    N-D 

Postglacial   erosion    and   oxidation.     Bull    Geol   Soc   Am  23: 
277-96    Je 


Appendix  457 


Book  Review.     Rec  Past    12:  43-5    Ja-F 

Deciding  Voice  of  the  Monuments,  by  ML   G.  Kyle. 

1913 

Age  of  pithecanthropus  erectus.     Rec  Past    12:93-4    Mr 
Crossing  the  Red  sea.     S  S  World  n  s    53 :  340-1    Ag 
Dependence  of  Christianity  upon  Historical  Evidence.    Bible 

Champ    16:  3-7,  68-71,   123-127    Ag,  S,  O 
Destruction  of  Sodom.     S  S  World  n  553:  99-100    Mr 
Dr.  Matthew  on  Wright's  Origin  and  Antiquity  of  Man.    Am 

Anthr  15:  704-6 

How  old  is  mankind.     S  S  Times    55:  52   Ja  25 
Old  Fort  Sahdoski  1745.     Ohio  State  Arch  and  Hist  Soc  Pub 

22:   371-80 

Recent  Date  of  the  attenuated   glacial  border  in  Pennsylva- 
nia.   Int  Geol  Cong   12:  451-3 
Story  of  the  flood   as  told  on  the  tablets.     West  Teach    41 : 

62-3  F 
Testimony   of    the    monuments    to    the    persecution    in    Egypt. 

West  Teach    41 :  293-4    Je 
Work   of   natural    forces    in    relation    to   time.      Nature     92: 

346    N  20 

Book  Reviews.     Bib  Sac    70:  538-42,  695-7    Jl>  O 

What  is  the  Truth  about  Jesus  Christ,  by  Friedrich  Loofs ; 

New  Testament   Manuscripts   in    Freer   Collection,   by   H. 

A.  Sanders;   Spiritual  Interpretation  of  Nature,  by  J.  Y. 

Simpson. 

1914 
Age  of  Don  River  glacial  deposits.     Bull  Geol  Sec  Am    25: 

205-214    Je 
Centennial  of  Perry's  victory.     Ohio  State  Arch  and  Hist  Soc 

Pub    23 :  49-80 
Evidence  of  a  glacial  dam  in  the  Allegheny  river.     Bull  Ge~l 

Soc   Am    25:   215-218    Je 

Man  and  the  mammoth  in  America.    Rec  Past    13:  103-5  Mf 
Man  and  the  mammoth  in  America.     Sci  Am  S    78:  3    Jl  4 


458  Story   of  My  Life 


Prehistoric  flint  quarries  and  iron  workings  in  Sweden.    Rec 

Past    13:  82-6    Mr 
Present   aspects  of  the   relations   between   science   and    reve- 

•    lation.     Bib   Sac    71:   513-33    O 
The  War.     Bib  Sac    71:  675-8    O 
Who  is  Deutero-Isaiah.     Bible  Champ    18:  178    N 
Work  of  James  Orr.     Bible  Champ    18:  29    Ag 

1915 

Antediluvians.     Int  Stan  Bible  Enc    i :  143 
Arabah.     Int  Stan  Bible  Enc    i:  211-3 
Ararat.     Int  Stan  Bible  Enc    i :  224-5 
Ark  of  Noah.     Int  Stan  'Bible  Enc    i :  246 
Cities  of  the  Plain.     Int  Stan  Bible  Enc    i :  600-1 
Dead  Sea.     Int  Stan  Bible  Enc    2:  8oo-n 
Deluge  of  Noah.     Int  Stan  Bible  Enc    2:  820-6 
Eden.     Int  Stan  Bible  Enc    2:  897-8 
Euphrates.     Int  Stan  Bible  Enc    2:  1038-9 
Invincible  ignorance.     Bib   Sac    72:  669-74    O 
Jordan   [river  and  valley].     Int  Stan  Bible  Enc    3:  1732-36 
Noah.     Int  Stan  Bible  Enc    4:  2153 
Paradise.     Int   Stan   Bible  Enc    4:  2246-7 
Red  Sea.     Int  Stan  Bible  Enc    4:  2538-41 
Tigris.     Int  Stan  Bible  Enc    5:  2981 
Vale  of  Siddim.     Int  Stan  Bible  Enc   4:  2784-5 

Book  Review.     Bible  Champ    20:  90  S 

Bible  as  Literature,  by  I.  F.  Wood. 
Book  Review.     Bib  Sac    72 :  675-80    O 

International    Standard    Bible   Encyclopaedia. 

1916 

Geology  of  [Lorain]  County.     Stand  Hist  Lorain  Co    i:  i-^ia 
Judge  Francis  J.  Lamb.     Bible  Champ    21:   115    Mr 
J.  E.  P.  R.  imposture.     Bible  Champ    21:  14-7    Ja 
Newest  things  in  biblical  criticism.     Advance    Ja   13 
Periodicity  a  law  of  nature.     Bib  Sac    73 :  302-17    Ap 


Appendix  459 


Book  Reviews.     Bib  Sac    73 :  324-30   Ap 

Antiquity  of  Man,   by  A.   Keith ;    Men  of  the   Old   Stone 
Age,  by  H.  F.  Osborn.        . 

Mosaic  authorship  of  the  Pentateuch.     Fund    9:  10-21 
Muir  Glacier,  Alaska,    Soc  Alaskan  Nat  Hist  and  Ethn,  Bui  z 
Passing  of  Evolution.     Fund    7:  5-20 
Relation  of  the  Bible  to  Science.     Monday  Club  Sermons    6: 

9-3i 

Sermons  for  the  Monday  Club  (22) 

Testimony  of  the   monuments  to  the  truth  of  the   scriptures. 
Fund    2:  7-23 


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•"•"•"•"•"•"•"•"•«•"•"••.....„.„...„ 


°c 


by 


:   ».ut.  j3jl. 


_ 


Corinthians  14:34/  !  Timoth 
Consistency  in  facts  &  figures. 

2  San.uel  10:18,  1  Chronicles  19:18; 
Chronicles  9:25,  1  Kings  4:26- 
Samuel  8:4,  1  Chronicles  18,4, 
2  Kings  8:26,  2  Chronicles  22:2'&  42 
So-called  self  contradictions- 

Genesis  9:3  and  Deuteronomy  14-7-19 
Deuteronomy  24:16  and  Ezekial  18.2fl' 
'lth  the  do       of  Original  sin 


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